Of Heros and Quarians
by Blze001
Summary: Aila'Gerrel has just returned from her pilgrimage, ready to spend her days as a Flotilla Marine. Fate, however, has different plans. Every crisis has its hero, and where one hero falls short, another must rise to succeed.
1. Chapter 1

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. " - Christopher Reeve

First fan-fic, I had the idea for Aila when I was asked to write a short story about what I thought made a "hero" and if they were born or made as a result of their surroundings. I had just finished a ME-thru-ME2 marathon and although I ended up using a real-life example (Yakov Pavlov) , I had already developed the character and a general "hero-by-surroundings" storyline. Decided to finally put pen to paper (or fingers to keys, as the case is) and share her with the Mass Effect community!

Chapter 1

Lieutenant Regala'Darini paced stiffly around the bridge. Even if she were not wearing a mask, her face would be impossible to read, as emotional and caring as the metal floor her boots softly clanged on. _As warm and inviting as a Russian in a Siberian storm _a human once commented while she was on pilgrimage. She still didn't know if that was meant to be a complement or an insult, as she had no idea who the "Russians" were nor what system Siberia resided in.

"Lieutenant, we're approaching the co-ordinates, 10 minutes away."

Regala nodded stiffly "Alert the Captain." she then keyed her personal radio "Sergeant Aila, assemble the team, standard boarding equipment."

A youthful voice chirped over the radio "Boarding? I thought we were on a salvage run? Because if we're expecting a fight, wouldn't it be more of a "forceful exchange of commodities" or something along those lines?"

"And I thought I was giving you an order, Sergeant." Regala growled into her radio.

The reply was quiet, and very deflated; "Yes ma'am."

Regala let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed her mask lightly. _Whatever happened to children maturing during their pilgrimage? _

"Growling at her over the radio won't magically inspire her to become an ideal marine, Lieutenant."

Regala whirled to face the speaker and snapped stiffly to attention "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't hear you approach. I...ah...if I may ask, sir...how did you know who I was talking to?"

Captain Velzi'Mar chuckled lightly and the Lieutenant knew he was smiling widely "Because, Lieutenant, only our own Aila'Gerrel could get under your skin like that. She only returned from her pilgrimage a month ago, and she is still maturing into her own."

Regala had to force herself not to echo the words she knew were coming: "_Patience is the answer." _She smiled inwardly: That, in a nutshell, summed up Velzi'Mar vas Adami. His was one of the longest pilgrimages in memory, his gift an entire supply-ship full of salvaged ship parts, collected over 4 years of working odd salvage jobs. He was passed over for command twice, and never once raised an objection, content to be the XO as long as it suited the Admiralty Board. Even this ship, the Adami, exemplifies his motto...mainly in that it was only ever 70% functional at any one time.

At first she had seriously questioned the captain's decision to place Aila in the marines, seeing her as barely being sensible enough to carry a knife, let alone an assault rifle. Her opinion changed, however, the first time she saw her in action against Batarian slavers. Although they had caught the Adami by surprise, they didn't make it past the shuttle bay where they had made their entry. Aila had been practicing with her rifle in a make-shift range when the gunship blasted a hole through the door. She managed to keep their heads down until Regala and the rest of the marines arrived then, to Regala's shock, immediately took control, ordering everyone, the lieutenant included, around like she was the captain. Within minutes the Batarians were retreating with their dead and wounded, and with only a few suit punctures on the Quarian's side. _That  
seemingly brain-dead girl has more leadership ability in her pinky than the Admiralty board exhibits on a good day..._

The Captain strolled over to the front view-port and gazed out at the blurring mass of stars.

"How long until we reach the destination?" He casually asked.

"Arriving in 3...2...1...uh..." There was a moment of silence, then a shudder as the ship dropped out of FTL drive. The helmsman tapped the digital readout; "I'll make sure that is calibrated next time, sir. We're out of FTL, almost on top of the given co-ordinates."

Velzi nodded and continued to gaze out of the view screen "Standard search procedures, if we're going to salvage a ship, we need to find it first."

The two sensor station operators smoothly manipulated their displays, methodically scanning for emissions. There was a few seconds of silence, during which Regala sensed some confusion rise in the two operators. She stalked over to their consoles and looked at the readouts: _Heat-signatures, radiation emission, signal scanning... _she raised an eyebrow _..negative?_

"Captain, there isn't anything being picked up on the sensors. Even the heat sensors are showing negative" she said as she turned towards the captain. As always, he didn't seem to react in the slightest.

"Send out an active LADAR emission. Lets make sure there isn't anything out there."

Regala took a step forward "Sir, may I remind you that, according to operational guidelines, active LADAR is limited to asteroid fields and nebulae only." She new the answer already, of course, but she was wired to voice her complaint regardless.

The captain turned his head slightly "And you know what I think of half of those "guidelines". Proceed lieutenant."

The operator nodded and manipulated his controls, then scanned the LADAR receiver for any reply. "Contact, sir, bearing 22 E 7. I'd guess by the return we're looking at a small frigate. Can't get a clear enough return to begin determining a species of origin."

"Looks like the report was accurate. Lets get in as close as we can, Lieutenant.." he didn't even have to finish the sentence, she nodded and spun on her heels, briskly making her way to the shuttle bay.

The captain smiled inwardly: _6 years and she's still as stiff and formal as the day she returned from her pilgrimage...I suppose those Turians had quite the effect. _He slowly walked over towards the communications terminal and placed a hand on the operator's shoulder "Launch a  
comm buoy, let the Flotilla know we've arrived and spotted the ship. Species of origin is still undetermined, however we are starting recovery operations regardless."

"Sir, we're close enough for limited visual contact." The captain returned to his position in front of the window. He could see the outline of the  
mystery ship as a black void amongst the backdrop of stars. His eyes twitched to the right as he saw the engines of the shuttle flare and push it towards the black shape.

Regala's voice sounded over the comm "Adami, this is Lieutenant Regala. Shuttle is away."

-

Regala leaned forward in the co-pilots seat, behind her the 5 other members of her team double-checked their weapons and suits...well...4 of them did at least. Aila, predictably, was sprawled out in her jump-seat, idly twirling her pistol.

Regala resisted the urge to snap at her and instead focused on the void ahead of the shuttle. She flicked on the external light, illuminating the surface, revealing a smooth, flat black surface completely void of any markings what-so-ever. The pilot skillfully maneuvered the shuttle around the ship, searching for a possible entrance. Regala was aware of a shape behind her and turned her head, her mask clanking against Aila's and causing both to jump back slightly.

"Keelah! Sergeant Aila! What in the name of the ancestors are you doing?" She snapped harshly.

Aila leaped backwards and quickly tapped on her omni-tool, bringing up a partial wire-frame "I'm trying to get an idea of the shape as the shuttle moves around it, so I can send it back to the Adami and they can try and determine a species of origin, Ma'am!"

Regala blinked and raised an eyebrow, _Huh. That's actually a pretty good idea _She stood and moved away from the co-pilots seat "Fine, Sergeant. Sit here. Pilot, give us a tour around the outside of this ship so the Sergeant can get a good outline. Keep your eyes open  
for airlocks or bay doors."

She raised an eyebrow in mild amusement as Aila practically vaulted over the back of the seat and leaned towards the window, her three fingers skillfully manipulating the wire-frame, slowly building up a rough shape. She could only imagine how wide the kid's smile was.

She found herself looking at said wire-frame more than outside the window. She saw the ship slowly take shape. Curved backbone, two wing-like pylons jutting out and downward, two long engine housings on each pylon...she glanced out of the window, then back to the wire-frame, rubbing her head-scarf absentmindedly _...this shape is familiar...vaguely... _

Her musings were interrupted by Aila thrusting her hand up "Huzzah!" the pilot turned to face her, his eyes indicating extreme confusion. Aila sunk down a little and laughed slightly "Sorry. Learned that from a human during my pilgrimage. Sorry. But anyway, here's our mystery ship!"

She lifted her omni-tool, revealing the wire-frame and slowly rotating it. The shape was very elegant in shape, swooping back, flat bottom, few angles to speak of. Regala's mind raced _Where have I seen that ship?_

"Outstanding. Forward it to the Adami, have them analyze it. I think there was an airlock near the...I suppose front of the ship."

The pilot nodded and briskly moved the shuttle to the airlock while Aila stood and moved back to her jump-seat, tapping away at her omni-tool as she did so. "Okay Lieutenant, transfer complete. I'm ready kick some ass and take some names, Ma'am!"

Regala decided to ignore the odd saying and crossed her arms in front of her torso "Is that so? Well, seeing as you are so eager and are quite skillful with that omni-tool, how would you like to open the door for us?"

Aila's demeanor changed almost instantly and she started wringing her hands together "Oh. Uh, well...I...I'm not that great, plus I don't really know how to access an airlock computer, or how to open an airlock if the computer is down. I'm probably not the...er...best choice...ma'am?"

Regala drummed her two fingers "Well its a good thing we have radios then, you can ask us questions." She tapped on a panel and depressurized the shuttle, then opened the shuttle door. "Now get over there, Sergeant."

Aila swallowed nervously and nodded, fumbling with her rifle and moving towards the exit. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath, stepped back, and jogged towards the door. Just as she disengaged her magnetic boots, she felt someone grab her and drag her back in.

"You forgot your recovery cable." She felt Regala clip something to the back of her suit, the squeaked as the Lieutenant heaved her out of the door towards the ship. Regala let a smile invade her normally emotionless features _a quarian who is afraid of space...who would have thought that was possible?_

Aila flailed comically for a moment before gaining her bearings, trying to ignore the fact that she was free-floating in space. She double checked the cable clipped to her belt and inhaled, mustering her courage. She look at her target and realized the lieutenant was a little off with her throw and that she would miss the ship.

Thinking fast she grabbed her pistol, quickly performed some mental calculations, and fired one shot, nudging her back towards the ship. She smiled at her ingenuity and fired two additional shots, accelerating her movement. _Forget specialized maneuvering thrusters, a real marine moves around with her gun! _She giggled softly to herself and twisted back around to face her destination. _Oh Keelah... _she let out a loud grunt as she slammed into the hull of the ship, her hands scraping the smooth hull for a purchase as she felt herself begin to float away again.

Her omni-tool flared to life and she quickly re-activated the magnetic fields in her gloves and boots, causing her to slam into the hull once more, this time completely winding her.

Regala turned from glaring at the scorch marks on the back wall of the shuttle...just in time to see Aila slam into the ship for the second time. She rested her mask in the palm of her hand, sighing in frustration.

* * *

There you have it. Critique away, please.


	2. Chapter 2

-

_You lousy no-good bosh'tet, why won't you just open? _Aila swore and pounded the unyielding hull in frustration. She had spent the better part of ten minutes trying everything she could think of with her omni-tool to get the door open, even going so far as to try and power the door with her suit's power core. She was currently searching the door and surrounding panels for an emergency manual release, thus far without luck.

"Lieutenant, I can't find any sign of a manual release. Maybe this ship doesn't have one."

"That would be extremely unlikely, whatever race built this ship would have certainly wanted some method of entering in case of a catastrophic power loss."

Aila sighed heavily and started searching from the bottom up again, hoping she just simply missed something. She pressed down on the metal, hoping the increased pressure would allow her gloved fingers to register a button, lever or something useful. She felt the surface  
give a little _Hmm? What was that? _Her hand returned to the spot and pressed down, a small panel pushing in slightly. She felt around the edges of the indention, finding a  
slight ridge on one side. She pulled back, lifting a larger panel up, revealing a simple handle underneath.

"Oooooh, lieutenant, I might have something!" She twisted the panel and was rewarded with a slight shudder in the metal of the ship, the bottom of the door slightly elevated from the rest of the ship "I was right! I got the door open!" she eagerly grabbed the elevated portion and pushed, the door easily sliding upward and retreating into the panels above. She moved across the door's threshold and stood in what she assumed was the airlock.

"Lieutenant, I'm in the airlock...looks like there is an inner door. I'll try and find a way of opening while you guys come over."

"Understood, Sergeant. Do not open the door until we arrive."

Aila moved towards the door, her omni-tool illuminating the small room _Strange...even the inside doesn't have any markings. Someone didn't want this ship being traced back to the owners. _She brought up her omni-tool and began analyzing the door mechanism.

The shuttle floated up to the door opening, unloading the remaining marines before moving away to a safe distance as per protocol. Lieutenant Regala stepped up next to Aila and activated her own omni-tool. "Anything useful Sergeant?"

Aila shrugged "Nothing to indicated who owns this thing, but I am getting very faint electrical signals in this door mechanism. Should be enough to at least cycle the airlock, however I'm not sure if it'll pressurize properly."

Regala motioned to the marines and they took up formation, rifles pointed at the door. "Regala to Adami, we're prepared to enter the vessel."

"Acknowledged, remember. Safety is more important than salvage."

She turned to look at Aila "Okay. Open the doors."

Aila nodded and deftly manipulated her omni-tool "Open...sesame" she mumbled. The outer airlock door closed, but the inner one remained closed. "Hang on, the system is alert enough to know the airlock isn't pressurized, I'm having some difficulties overriding the inner door."

A few seconds ticked by as Aila tapped away on her omni-tool. She was finally rewarded by the sight of the door opening, accompanied by a rush of air as the airlock and interior of the ship equalized. She pulled out her rifle and flipped on the attached light, illuminating the bulkhead ahead of her.

The Lieutenant took point and motioned the marines in. The quarians, moving with an almost graceful purpose, quickly entered the hallway and took up defensive positions on either side of the door opening. The hallway off to the left ended suddenly in what appeared to be the ships control room, the other direction widened, flanked on both sides by a row of operator stations, before ending in a larger center room.

The Lieutenant re-positioned her marines so that four of them were facing the large room, while she and Aila entered the bridge. Aila promptly took a seat and began trying to interface her omni-tool with the ships interfaces. Regala looked around the cockpit and keyed her mic "Sergeant Yveta, take the marines and begin sweeping the ship, I want to make sure we're alone"

"Yes Ma'am, marines on me." Regala watched the marines slowly begin to move down the hallway.

She turned back to Aila and looked at her omni-tool "Hows it coming, Sergeant?"

Aila held her hand up in annoyance and resumed typing "One second...there. I think I'm in. Odd."

Regala looked even closer at Aila's omni-tool, "What's odd?"

Aila looked up at Regala, she could clearly see a mixture of confusion and surprise behind the mask "This system. I think it might be Turian."

As if on-cue, Regala's radio lit up "Lieutenant...you had better get down here...there is something you should see."

"On my way" she turned to Aila "Come on, lets go."

Aila didn't move "I might have found a way to get power back, hold on." As she spoke, the cockpit and hallway were dimly illuminated by what appeared to be emergency lights. "Okay, I got lights back on. It looks like quite a few systems are either non-functional or in some kind of stasis. I can't tell you more, because I'm not the captain, and it keeps asking for the captains authorization. It looks like that big room has a terminal where the captain can re-initialize the ship."

"Okay, we'll deal with that when we can, lets get down to the others." Aila nodded and followed the Lieutenant as they made their way down the hallway, past the vacant stations. They reached the center room, pausing for a moment. Before them sat a line of consoles, with a vacant space in the center of them. There were two doors on either side of the room, and it appeared as though the hallway continued back behind a structural wall. In front of the small wall, there was an elevated platform, jutting out into the aforementioned center space.

"Well, this certainly looks Turian...they do love separating their commander from the "rank and file" crew members, don't they?" She commented half to herself. "Okay, lets go this way." she moved off to the right of the center consoles.

Aila tapped her omni-tool and pointed to the elevated portion of the platform "Looks like the captain's input goes up there." Regala nodded and triggered the door switch, moving down the stairs she turned and faced an elevator, one of the marines motioned her from a  
corridor to the right.

As she rounded the corner, Regala froze. Lying before her were the bodies of at least a dozen Turians. She cautiously moved forward, her skilled eyes surveying the bodies. _No blood on the floor...no puncture wounds...nothing external at all to indicate death...but this does lend weight to Aila's theory that this is a Turian ship_

She turned to Yveta "Any indication of what killed them?"

Yveta shook her head "Nothing. Omni-tool scans didn't reveal anything either. I was just about to contact the Adami and as doct-"

Before she could finish her sentence the lights flickered on and a harsh voice sounded over the speakers "Cancellation of hibernation order approved. Stand by for system re-initialization."

Regala and Yveta looked at each other in confusion, and Yveta glanced behind the lieutenant. "I think I already know the answer to this, but...where's Aila?"

Regala whirled and sprinted back towards the deck, followed closely by the marines. She keyed her mic "Adami, this is Regala. The ship is powering up, how I don't know. I think Aila might have something to do with it."

-

"Acknowledged, remember. Safety is more important than salvage."

Captain Velzi turned from is viewpoint and approached the central control station, currently displaying the wire-frame supplied by Aila. His gaze moved across the shape of the ship and smiled _if nothing else, it would certainly be the most attractive fleet in the Flotilla. _He caught a glimpse of the communications operator standing up, and moved towards the station. The officer turned and spoke "Ah, captain, I was just about to call you. The Admiralty Board recognized the ship in question and called in an expert to  
consult you, I'll send it to the briefing room."

Velzi nodded and left the bridge. He had to duck underneath a few hanging cables and hoses, and step over a repair crew fixing one of the myriad of problems the Adami seemed to develop every day. _Why they insist on sending us out on these missions away from the Flotilla, I'll never understand. _He entered the communications room and activated the large screen.

A Quarian appeared on the screen, dressed in the traditional sash and head-scarf of a Quarian representative, and Velzi raised an eyebrow beneath his mask "Ambassador Tali'Zorah, I wasn't expecting you to be the "expert" the Board spoke of."

Tali rubbed the top of her mask and sighed slightly "Please Captain, I've been with Anderson and Shepard bickering with the Council all day, I've heard the phrase "Ambassador Zorah" enough to last a lifetime."

Velzi laughed and nodded "Very well, Tali. I take it the negotiations with the Council  
aren't going as planned?"

He could see Tali's demeanor change from tired and frustrated to angry and frustrated. She crossed her arms "Keelah, if I survive the next few months, I am going to kill Shepard and the Admiralty Board for electing me as the Quarian Ambassador. I'm more adept and settling disputed with my shotgun than I am with words, and sometimes I think that is the only way the Council will agree to anything we have to say."

Velzi nodded. After the Eden Prime War and the mysterious events surrounding the Omega 4 relay, the council had deemed it prudent to allow the Quarians to once again have an embassy on the Citadel. Due to her actions in both aforementioned events and part in opening lines of communications between the Flotilla and Geth, the Admiralty Board had elected Tali the Quarian's first Citadel Ambassador in over 300 years, a decision enthusiastically received by the Council...although it was assumed that their co-operation was thanks to Spectre Shepard.

"Well then, I have something that is more down your preferred alley, Tali. Mysterious ships found floating in the middle of empty space."

Tali looked off camera, he could tell she was consulting a computer "So I hear. The reason the Admiralty Board asked me to speak with you is because according to this wire-frame you sent, this is a Normandy class vessel."

Velzi blinked and was silent for a moment. "A Normandy class? So this is a human vessel?"

Tali shook her head "No it isn't, captain. The humans have only built 3 Normandy vessels. The first one was destroyed." Velzi heard a tinge of sadness on her voice at the mention of the original Normandy. "The other two, the Ain Jalut and the Plataea, are alive and well as of three hours ago and its too small to be of the same kin as the SR2."

Velzi looked at the model and paced back and forth "So it isn't human...then who did build it?"

Tali wrung her hands and lowered her voice "I have a theory about that. The Normandy class was a joint Human and Turian joint venture, however officially only the Humans ever built one, as the Turian Hierarchy preferred to build larger destroyers than a small frigate."

"So you think they did build them, just kept it a secret from the rest of the Citadel races?"

Tali nodded "Yes. Although why they would've left it just sitting out there for anyone to find is beyond me." her voice returned to its normal volume "Now if you'll excuse me, captain, I must get back to the joy of negotiating." Velzi could almost see the sarcasm emit from her external speaker on the word 'joy'.

"Thank you for the insight, Tali. Captain Velzi out." he turned as the screen shut off and returned to the bridge. As he reached the bridge, Lt. Regala's voice came over the communications;

"Adami, this is Regala. The ship is powering up, how I don't know. I think Aila might have something to do with it."

-

"Affirmative, report as soon as you know what happened."

The lieutenant emerged back on the main deck just as the voice sounded once more "Initialization complete..."

-

The lieutenant quickly disappeared down the stairs, and Aila took this opportunity to sneak over to the elevated platform. She stood at the control console and analyzed it with her omni-tool. The console lit up, and presented the outline of a three-fingered hand. Although the sensible part of her screamed in protest, she couldn't help but  
place her hand on the pad. A scan bar moved down her hand and back up again. Then the outline disappeared.

There was a brief pause, then a prompt appeared on the screen in Turian. She quickly translated it: "State your name". She tilted her head and shrugged "Aila'Gerrel?" The system blinked, and a voice sounded over the ships speakers:

"Cancellation of hibernation order approved. Stand by for system re-initialization."

Aila took a step back as the ship lit up, a galaxy flashing up in the vacant spot ahead of her and the terminals on the stations flickering to life. She heard the door open and saw Lieutenant Regala and the marines sprint onto the deck.

"Initialization complete. Log date, 2186: Successful transfer of control to Captain Aila'Gerrel."

There was complete silence for a moment. Aila and Regala broke it simultaneously. "What?"

-

I have chapter 3 up on Bioware's Social site, but I'm not 100% happy with it. I'll hold off on uploading it here so that you folks have time to respond to these two with critiques, suggestions and what-have-you.

I was struggling with a way to cut down on the jumping-around fractured nature of this chapter, especially towards the end, but couldn't come up with anything while keeping the suspense up. Ideas on a better approach would be appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The few comments I've received so far are great, keep them coming. Yes, I realize my grammar isn't spot-on perfect, I tried to remidy it a little in this chapter (did you know that there is something called a "semi-colon"? Far out!). As for the time-line of this story, it is actually only 5 years after the events of ME1 and about 2 after ME2, but before ME3. I already had this chapter written, so I just added a tweak here and there. Haven't gotten too far into the 4th one, so if you guys have suggestions, nows the time to throw 'em up.

The ship was silent, save for the humming from the holographic map. Regala looked at Aila in stunned disbelief, and could tell Aila was in the same state.

"What did you do, Sergeant?"

"I swear, I didn't know this would happen! I came over to the console after you went downstairs and it activated; the screen had a hand outline on it!"

"So you touched it?" Regala almost screamed.

Aila took a step backwards and her voice became thin and scared "I didn't think it would do anything, honest! I just put my hand on there; it scanned, asked for my name, then said I was the captain! I swear Regala, I didn't intentionally tell the ship to make me captain! I swear it!"

Regala shook with anger and asked very menacingly, "Then you will tell the VI that you are not the captain, understood Sergeant?"

Aila nodded quickly and ran back up to the console, "VI, this is Aila'Gerrel. I am not the captain, okay? I'm not the captain."

The voice sounded again, "Relinquishment of command by a living captain must be approved by the Hierarchy."

"But I'm not even Turian! I shouldn't be captain in the first place!"

"Relinquishment of command by a living captain must be approved by the Hierarchy."

Aila turned to Regala and shook her head, "I-I don't think it will let me, ma'am!"

Regala rubbed her face-mask, "Fine. Fine. Everyone to the airlock. Regala to Adami."

"Go ahead lieutenant."

"Sir, it appears Aila somehow installed herself as the captain and the ship won't let her relinquish command without approval from the Turian Hierarchy. We're heading back to the ship, maybe her leaving the vessel will reset something. The ship is clear of any hostiles; I recommend sending science team over here to poke around in the mean time."

The line was silent for a moment, "Alright lieutenant. Have you and your team get something to eat and unwind for an hour while the science team works. After that we'll meet in the briefing room and discuss what should be done."

"Yes sir".

Regala turned and stalked to the airlock, followed by the marines...Aila dejectedly bringing up the rear. 

-

"And thats where things stand now, sir. Aila tried to get it to relinquish command; it kept refusing without approval from the Hierarchy."

Velzi, Regala and Aila were in the briefing room an hour after the team returned. Regala was still livid at Aila's actions on board, although the hour had allowed her to cool off a little.

Aila, for her part, felt horrible. She knew she should have followed Regala instead of pressing buttons but...how was she supposed to know the ship had some stupid new Turian command system? More importantly how could she, most definitely not a Turian the last time she checked, have accessed it?

"Sir, incoming transmission for you. Patching it through"

The screen lit up and Aila saw three figures; a Salarian, a Quarian and a Turian. She swallowed nervously as she looked at the Turian. He was scarred on the right side of his face and looked like the type that wouldn't take kindly to little Quarians who stole Turian ships.

The quarian spoke, "Captain. I received your communique about the ship. I brought in two people who might be able to help; this is Garrus Vakarian and this is Professor Mordin Solus. Considering the origin of the ship, Garrus might be able to give us some insight. Mordin is extremely intelligent, if anyone can figure this system out, its him."

Garrus nodded, "Tali says this ship appears to be a twin of the original Normandy. If that is so, then it was never official. According to every "official" channel in the Hierarchy, only the Alliance ever put the model in production. It was supposedly some sort of an olive-branch to promote better Alliance-Hierarchy relations after the Contact War. Call it a hunch, but I suspect this was some black project that supposedly never existed."

Velzi turned and motioned to Aila, "This is Aila'Gerrel, the one who activated the system. It would probably be best if she explained what she did prior to the ship activating."

Aila sat up stiffly, keenly aware of the 5 pairs of eyes boring into her. She spoke fast, "We got into the ship and nothing was on, it only had the barest of minimal systems on to preserve the databanks or something like that. I found out that the comatose state could only be overridden by the captain's order. When the lieutenant went to see what the marines had found, I slipped off to the captain's station on the main deck. When I got there, there was an outline of a hand on the panel. So I put my hand on it, it scanned it, then asked me for my name. I gave it, the ship turned on and said that I was the captain." She turned to Velzi, "Sir, I promise, I had no idea this would happen. I swear it wasn't intentional."

Velzi chuckled and set his hand on the girls shoulder, "No one is saying it was, Aila. You're not in trouble, we just need to figure out how to change command."

Mordin crossed his arms in his signature manner and spoke rapidly, "Hmm. Hand scanner. Could be DNA based? Unlikely, DNA requires blood sample. Finger-prints? No, Aila was wearing glove. Could it be scanning for dextro-amino acids? Logical. Scan could penetrate gloves. Not require blood sample."

Garrus nodded "Hierarchy vessels have a similar system now, requires a hand scan and the proper clearances pre-loaded onto your omni-tool. This ship is probably 5 years old, about the same time this security system was in development. Could be a primative prototype."

Regala rubbed her helmet, "Wait, so how did Aila activate it then? Shouldn't it only respond to Turian DNA?"

Mordin shook his head "Not exclusively. System was prototype, could just look for the dextro-amino acids. Would not distinguish between Turian and Quarian. Conflict between Flotilla and Hierarchy extremely unlikely. Risk of Quarian on Hierarchy vessel in the window of command change negligible."

"Especially since this ship was secretive even amongst the Hierarchy, the crew was probably hand-picked, meaning whoever ran the program wouldn't be worried about unauthorized change of command.", Garrus added.

Regala nodded a little. She still didn't fully understanding what they had said, but guessed it meant the system wasn't working right. _Hell, Alia is the ship's "captian", I could've told them that._

Tali nodded, "Which means that whatever happened was both unexpected and somehow prevented the Turians from finding their ship again. Has you team come across anything captain?"

Velzi shook his head, "The system is locked down. Looks like it locked itself down once Aila left, probably a security feature of sorts. Our science team hasn't made any headway. We're bringing the bodies back to the Adami for medical analysis by the doctor."

A voice sounded over the Normandy's speakers, "Approaching the relay, might want to wrap up the chit-chatting." the voice switched to a horrible French accent, "Madame Ambassadeur".

Tali sighed and shook her head, "Thanks Joker."

Velzi raised an eyebrow, "Going on a trip, ambassador?"

Tali's eyes narrowed in a smile, "I needed to get off the Citadel...soooo we're going to come investigate personally! Besides, I've already presented our case as best I can, now its up to them to decide if we get our embassy back."

Velzi and Regala looked at each other in surprise, "We would be honored to have your assistance. Can we assume Commander Shepard will be visiting as well?"

Tali cleared her throat, "Not this time, captain. Unfortunately, Commander Shepard had to stay on the Citadel and take care of a few important matters."

Joker's voice interjected, "Yeah, that and we were already heading for the relay when he found out about your little "trip". I told him you took me at gun-point."

Tali shrugged and her eyes betrayed a large grin; "He was the one who told me to be more outgoing and confident, he'll get over it."

Garrus cleared his throat, hiding a chuckle.

"I will talk to you when we arrive, captain. We should be there in 2 hours. Tali'Zorah vas Normandy out."

* * *

Authors Note: Alrighty, thats chapter 3. Chapter 4 will have more back-story on the mystery ship, as well as a nice action sequence. Should be loads of fun!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Matriarch Dena'a could have had it all. With a tall-statuesque body and knock-out looks, one bat of her eyelashes could have netted any number of wealthy, well-to-do business men. Even now, approaching the sweet age of 831, she wouldn't have had any trouble competing with those arrogant little 100 year old brats that most men seemed to prefer. However, her extremely Alpha personality prevented such a lifestyle, propelling her into the lifestyle of an Asari Commando and, eventually, the honor of being asked to join the Spectres.

As the oldest living, and therefore most senior Spectre in the galaxy, Dena'a had become accustomed to getting the juiciest assignments. The assignments that needed to be fulfilled without so much as a ripple in the galactic pond. Which was the precise reason Dena'a found herself in a run-down apartment in Omega, with the incessant thumping of Club Afterlife's music reverberating off the walls at all hours.

She chuckled as she mentally reviewed her assignment. _So they've finally decided Aira T'Loak was too big a thorn to ignore. Took them long enough. _Dena'a had never been fond of Aira, finding her methods and lifestyle distasteful and an insult to her race.

She was startled by a heavy knock on her door. Ever cautious, she made sure her pistol and dagger were easily obtainable, and cautiously ventured to the door.

The door slid open, revealing figure encased in a black robe which covered its face. Her mind immediately sized him up: a_bout 5' 9", shoulders and height suggest human, hands exposed but the cape could easily conceal any number of unpleasant surprises._

"Can I help you?"

The figure stood silently.

"I said, can I-..."

"You will lose, Spectre Dena'a"

Dena'a took a step back at the figures words. No one on Omega knew her name, and they sure as hell didn't know she was a Spectre. She pulled her pistol out of its holster, steeling her nerves.

"I don't know who this Dena'a is, but I'm giving you five seconds to-..."

Dena'a's words were cut short as her entire body froze. Her mind raced, trying to summon biotics or move her arm. It was no use, only her eyes remained mobile.

The hooded figure raised its head, its face concealed save for two glowing red eyes.

"Defiance only brings suffering."

Dena'a stared in terror as her arm moved the pistol towards her head, it felt as though it wasn't even a part of her.

"Oblivion awaits."

"Yeeeeeeayah!" Aila danced in her seat as she raked in the chips, reveling in the frustrated groans and sighs from her compatriots.

"Keelah above, Aila. How do you do it?"

Aila shrugged and began organizing her chips "The human's I served with played this almost every day, I've had plenty of practice."

"Sergeant Aila'Gerrel!"

Cards and chips flew everywhere as Aila leaped to attention, sending her chair skidding across the break-room floor. "Ma'am, yes Sir-...Ma'am!"

Regala stood with her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently, "Shuttle bay, 10 minutes." With that, she spun smartly and allowed the door to close.

Aila ignored the sniggering behind her and deftly caught a card as it fluttered down towards the floor. _Joker. _She smirked, "Yeah...I know."she mumbled to no one in particular, absent absentmindedly tucked the card into her belt and made her way to the armory.

8 minutes later she was nervously bobbing on her toes next to the shuttle, watching Regala have a few last words with the captain.

She twitched as a voice blasted over the hangers speaker, "Normandy just dropped out of FTL, Sir."

"Thank you, Velzi out." Velzi had a few more words with Regala, returned her salute, and headed towards the door.

"So Lieutenant, are we going back to the mystery ship?"

Regala just looked her direction, then stepped into the shuttle.

"Sheeeesh, I said I was sorry." Aila mumbled under her breath.

The shuttle slid through the icy blackness towards the black ship. Breath taking and intimidating all at once, it looked like a demonic bird of prey, with the only clue to its existence being the starlight blocked by its mass. _The more you look, the more your mind begins to doubt anything is really there _Aila observed. _Its like a giant optical illusion. _

She twisted her head and looked at the newly arrived SR2 Normandy, its white and yellow hull illuminated by rows of amber lights giving it an almost angelic look compared to the icy blackness in front of the shuttle. Aila could tell right away that she was the finest ship in the galaxy, and felt a ping of jealousy as her gaze catches sight of the ungainly-in-comparison Adami.

"Approaching the cargo bay, passing atmospheric barriers now." the pilot began running through his landing check-list.

Regala stood and moved towards the opening door, Aila close behind her. As they stepped onto the deck, a scientist came hurriedly running up to them.

"It worked, just as the captain suggested! Systems powered on all over the ship when Aila returned!"

Aila winced and looked away, knowing that Regala was still angry about the whole situation. All three were startled as a battered Kodiak shot through the barrier, whirled, and lightly touched down next to them.

The door opened to reveal Tali, Garrus and Mordin. The latter with a bag of...science-like stuff, Aila assumed.

Tali walked over to Aila and saluted smartly "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, requesting permission to board, Ma'am."

Aila felt like she was going to die of embarrassment and began fidgeting with her rifle "Uh...okay? I guess? You out rank me and...and...well this isn't even my ship, really."

Garrus chuckled and clacked his mandibles "Tali is just trying to liven you up, Ms. Gerrel. You look like you just unleashed a Thresher Maw on the Presidium."

Tali crossed her arms and tapped her mask "Y'know Garrus? That might not be such a bad idea. Only in the Council Chamber."

"Blackmail them into giving your embassy back, Ambassador? Sounds like you've been near Shepard too long."

Tali shrugged, "I was thinking more for my own amusement, but the blackmail thing is a good idea too." Tali turned back to Aila and Regala "Anyway, we're here to take a look and see what we can do about opening up the security system and possibly determine what happened here."

Mordin smiled wide and hefted his bag "Turians very secretive about technology, look forward to getting familiar with near-current generation technology. Where is the captain's station?"

Regala motioned towards the elevator, "Top deck, follow me please."

Garrus glanced at the starboard hangar wall, "Brings back memories of the good ol' days, eh Tali?"

Tali elbowed him sharply, "If you even think of asking me anything in the elevator..."

Garrus held up his hands, "I know, I know. Shotgun."

"Ah, Lieutenant Regala, we have something you might want to see." A technician motioned towards a console on the shelf near the galaxy map. A turian was frozen on the screen. The tech's omni-tool flared up and the video began to play.

"Log 45, 2183 CE. A whole day since the damned system fried, still haven't gotten communications or propulsion back on line. The stealth system continues to be engaged while we make necessary repairs. If we aren't repaired in another 2 days, we'll have no choice but to vent our heat and hope no one is near by to see us. Commander Ferex out."

"Commander Ferex? I remember that guy, a real by-the-book hard-ass of an XO. Rumors at the time said he had his fingers in every beyond-classified project in the Hierarchy." Garrus commented.

"The next log isn't until 2 days later." The tech tapped on his omni-tool again.

"Log 46, 2183 CE. As if things weren't bad enough already, the captain is telling me the stealth system is refusing to shut down. The short that fried our other systems must've damaged the stealth system, but those worthless techies didn't notice. I'll have them demoted to serving refreshments to those pompous politicians on Palaven who didn't want to shell out the credits for a redundant system. Its going to get warm in here. Commander Ferex out."

"Only one more log remains, dated 2 days later..."

The turian appeared again, this time panting and looking very disheveled, "Log...48? Or is it 49? Ah hell with it...the stealth system...still refuses to...disengage...upper...and lower decks...almost unbearable...crew in middle deck, hoping for rescue...hopeless...Her...iarchy doesn't...doesn't know our position...damned...credit counters..." the turian fell off the screen.

"The log continues for another 25.2 hours, which is when the ship went into hibernation as far as we can tell."

Mordin crossed his arms "Mmmmm, stealth systems not turning off, would've continued to generate heat. Unsurvivable temperatures would be reached in 51 hours. Crew would have been rendered unconscious by mixture of heat and dehydration before death...uncomfortable, but mercifully painless."

Regala tilted her helmet "But...how did the stealth system switch off when the system went into its...sleep...cycle thing? Didn't that Ferex guy say that they couldn't turn it off?"

Tali shook her head, "A ships hibernation cycle cuts power at the core itself. That would ensure even damaged systems were deactivated."

"Then why didn't it kick back on when Aila pressed the ship-wide "on" button?"

Aila winced at her mistake being mentioned again.

"Likely the system resets after hibernation. Ship reactivation wouldn't reactivate non-critical systems. Stealth system certainly not on critical grid." Mordin surmised.

Aila spoke up, "So...this ships fancy prototype stealth system fried and...cooked all of those turians we found?"

The entire party jumped as the VI's voice answered Aila's question, "Stealth system damaged 50 hours before hibernation protocols enacted. Reason for damage: unknown. Damage extent: unknown. Recommended action: enter engineering duct work between sections A7 and B3 and determine extent of damage to primary relay housings in this area."

There was silence, then Garrus spoke, "Well...that sounds easy."

Aila looked back in the direction of the speaker, "Uhh...VI...what was the history of this ship?" 

"Commissioned in 2183 in secret from plans used in Alliance-Hierarchy project "Normandy". Recon and observation equipment reduced to accommodate increased weaponry. Intended to be a deep-penetration attack frigate, capable of delivering devastation first-shot attacks on enemy targets. First voyage in 2183 under the command of Commander Ferex, Hierarchy Military. Suffered unknown damage during cruise, resulting in death of Commander Ferex and subsequent hibernation. Re-initialized in 2188 by new commanding officer, Captain Aila'Gerrel, Quarian Flotilla."

"Well, that confirms our suspicion about being Normandy's turian cousin." Tali quipped. "VI, what are the approved methods of changing command?"

"Command may only be changed by order of the Hierarchy or when the current commander ceases to live."

Aila gulped and suddenly felt her mouth become very, very dry.

Tali continued her questioning, "Is there any other way of changing command?"

"Negative."

"Who needs to give the approval for the command change?"

"Approval must be obtained from Councilor Triax."

Garrus scoffed incredulously, "Triax? As in the Citadel Councilor Triax? He knew about this project all along?"

Tali shook her head, "That bosh'tet, the rest of the Council would be furious if they knew about this. The Normandy Project, and more specifically its exclusively human implementation, was supposed to be the turians and Council formally "getting over" First Contact War."

Aila tilted her head "Wait, whats this ships name?"

"Unavailable. A name was not given, due to secretive nature. Previous commander believed a name acknowledged an objects existence, something this ship was intended to officially avoid."

Regala leaned against the wall, "A ship with no name...even an anti-tech like me knows that is just wrong."

Tali couldn't help but sing in her head, _I've flown through the void in a ship with no name..._ She made a mental note to kill Joker for discovering 20th century human folk music.

"Illusion..." Aila spoke half to herself.

"Name change confirmed. Welcome aboard the _Illusion_"

A/N: I know I promised action in this one, but the flash involving Dena'a provided a better air of mystery, and I needed to get the ship's background out of the way. I apologize for the "A Horse With No Name" reference, I couldn't help it after I wrote Regala's line. As always, comments are welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Sorry about the huge delay, the folks moved and we've been unpacking, exploring, etc. Didn't get many comments for that last chapter, so I'm assuming y'all enjoyed it. This one should involve more lasers and explosions. Everyone loves lasers and explosions, right?

* * *

Mordin nodded curtly, "Illusion. Appropriate, considering ships history and stealth system. Where is the captain's station? Need to begin analyzing systems."

Aila pointed to the station behind her, "Its over there, the balcony looking thing over where the holomap appears."

Mordin grabbed his tool kit and briskly made his way over to the console, immediately flipping on his omni-tool, "Garrus, would you please remain here. My turian isn't the best. Tali, take other quarians, look for signs of damage. Recommend looking at relays. Will try to pinpoint locations."

Tali tapped on her omni-tool, "Here. I still have the repair schematics from the original Normandy, hopefully this ship isn't drastically different. There are three places a failure of this magnitude could originate. Engineering, the primary power relay on deck two and the conduits that pass through the elevator shaft."

Aila's omni-tool beeped as it received the data and she studied the schematics carefully, "Wouldn't the turians have thought to look in these places too, though?"

Tali shrugged, "Possibly. Although they likely only would have examined engineering and the relay, the conduits along the elevator isn't a recognized failure point. However, in that area, most of the ships critical conduits pass in close proximity to each other. It is possible one failed catastrophically enough to damage the others immediately next to it."

Regala idly spun the hologram on her omni-tool. _Why did she send it to me? I'm a marine, not a mechanic. If I'm repairing ship systems, something really went wrong... _"Wait. What about the secondary systems? Don't all ships have backups of the critical systems that kick in when the primary system fries itself?"

Tali rubbed her helmet, "I was thinking the same thing, the secondary conduits are routed differently and wouldn't have been effected by any failures in the primary systems."

Garrus' mandibles clacked in thought, "Could whatever damaged the primary systems have hit the secondaries too? Maybe it was a power surge from the system itself that fried both sets."

"We won't know for sure until I get a look at the conduits." Tali turned to the technician and tapped on her omni-tool a few more times, "Have your team split into two, look at the engineering and primary relays. I'll take a look at the conduits in the elevator shaft."

"Captain Gerrel, I require your assistance."

Regala found it hard to suppress a slight chuckle as Aila jumped and stared at Mordin, "Uh...wha...you mean me?"

Mordin nodded, "Indeed. System has locks on all upper level functions. Only captain can override."

"I...I'm not a captain though, I'm a sergeant. And, and even then only just, I was promoted a month ago. So I'm really nowhere near captain." Aila blabbered breathlessly.

No one was more surprised that Aila when Regala spoke up, "The ship thinks you're the captain, right? As it stands we don't have many options, so I guess you're the "captain" for the time being. But remember, you are first and foremost a Flotilla Marine. I expect you to act as such."

Aila nodded and stood next to Mordin, quickly releasing the block and standing aside as the Salarian resumed his work. "Hey. Since I'm the captain of this ship, don't I outrank you Lieutenant?"

Regala crossed her arms and leaned back, her eyes narrowed almost to the point of being shut, "Just try and give me an order, _Sergeant_ Gerrel..."

Aila cleared her throat and suddenly found something very interesting to analyze on her omni-tool.

Joker drummed his fingers idly, stifling a yawn, "Sheesh, they've been over there for almost three hours, how long does it take to turn a ship back on?"

EDI's blue orb flashed to existence next to him, "Source and extent of damage to the Illusion is still being ascertained. Until the damaged systems are repaired or isolated, fully re-powering the ship would be an unwise course of action."

Joker shrugged, "A turian ship stumping an entire team of quarians. Bet they'd never let the Flotilla live that down if they found out."

"No one is perfect, Jeff. Even a people as technologically adept as the quarians run into difficulties."

"Speak for yourself, I am the perfect pilot in the flesh."

"On that topic, the repair estimates from that asteroid you hit while on approach to the Adami are in, would you like to review them?" the tone in EDI's voice indicated amusement.

Joker rubbed his face, "Remember when I said you should try to be more human? I lied."

"Jeff, I'm picking up a vessel entering the system."

Joker's hands flew to the holopad in front of him as he brought up the sensor data, "Did the turians finally find their long-lost ship?"

"Negative. The unknown ship does not match any signatures currently in my database."

"How much time do we have?", Joker's hands were already bringing the barriers and weapons online.

"Based on the vessels current rate of speed, it will be within weapons range in 5 minutes."

"Okaaaay...and now...hand me a length of cable." Tali stuck her hand out behind her.

Regala rummaged through the box next to her and selected a length of fiber-optic cabling, handing it to her. They had spent the better part of two hours on the top of the elevator repairing the mass of melted, shorted and generally broken cabling that ran along the walls of the shaft.

Tali sat back on her heels and wiped her hands on her thighs, "There. That should do it, for the time being at least."

Her radio crackled to life, "Tali? Hey Tali, its Joker, you there?"

"Yes, Joker. I'm here, whats wrong?"

"Listen, EDI just picked up an unknown ship heading straight for us. Its about four minutes away. I already informed the Adami, but you guys might want to hurry up with the repairs."

Tali nodded, "I just finished patching the damage. If they turn hostile, keep them off us until we're powered up. Tali'Zorah out." Her omni-tool flashed as she switched comm channels, "Mordin, we have incoming, we need to get the Illusion moving."

"Risky. Only repaired the damage we could find. Could be more damage in inaccessible areas. Hard to tell."

"The Normandy and Adami are going to keep them off our backs until we get powered up, but we don't have much time. Mordin, start running partial power tests, myself and the other quarians will repair problem areas as you find them." Tali motioned to Regala and the two grabbed dropped through the elevator hatch with their gear.

"Understood. Starting tests."

Aila had been sitting in the pilots seat when she heard the radio chatter. She sat bolt upright and peered out of the front windows, watching as the Normandy majestically banked and her barriers flickered into life, the Adami ponderously lumbering into position next to her.

She heard boots pounding the floor behind her and turned to see Regala running her direction. She skidded to a halt and watched the two ships. Aila knew what she was thinking, _she wants to be on the Adami. _Aila's attention captured by a light on her haptic interface flashing, signaling the systems had began to initialize.

"25% power achieved safely. Increasing to 50%.", Mordin's calm voice sounded without a trace of anxiety, "Tali, conduit 4T-7 is showing anomalous activity. Investigate please."

"On my way."

"Well, at the rate this is going, we should be ready to run once-", Aila's musings were cut short as a brilliant red beam flashed out of nowhere and slammed into the Normandy, the barriers flashing as they absorbed the impact.

"...they arrive..."

"Illusion! Times up! The enemy has opened fire, hurry things up over there!", Joker's hurried voice came over the radio.

Tali spoke over the comm quickly, "What? You said they were 3 minutes away! How can they possibly be firing?"

"The enemy ship is well beyond the firing range of all known weaponry. It appears to be similar to the weapon used by Sovereign and the Collector vessels." EDI paused for a moment, "Tali, according to my calculations the Normandy will be able to withstand 2.4 direct hits once the enemy is within range of our weapons. Recommend haste."

Mordin cut into the transmission, "Cannot hurry the initialization. Integrity of systems unknown. Moving too fast could cause failures and result in further damage to ship."

Aila jumped as another beam appeared out of the darkness, narrowly missing the Normandy as she rolled out of the way.

"Well we can't just sit here and let them take shots at us, I'm still trying to keep my ex-Normandy count at one, folks."

Aila's fingers had been busy, and she was now patched into the commander's terminal. The power levels were at 49% and all indicators were green. She fidgeted and mentally wished the power bar would move faster as another beam shot past the Normandy.

"Almost to 50%. Still no problems observed.", Mordin announced.

Aila and Regala sat in the cockpit and anxiously watched as the Normandy and Adami dodged the angry red beams, the power bar still creeping up agonizingly slowly.

"60% power achieved. Maneuvering thrusters are powered."

EDI's calm voice came over the comms, "Enemy ship has just dropped out of FTL and is in range."

Aila could hear Joker laugh as a brilliant blue beam shot out from the Normandy's Thainx Cannons, "Alright, lets see how you enjoy a target that bites back!"

His jubilation was cut short as another red beam flashed into existence. Aila watched in horror as it ripped through the Adami's barriers and punched completely through the hull, secondary explosions erupting from other sections of the ship. The Adami drifted lifelessly, interior atmosphere venting from dozens of hull ruptures.

Regala jumped to her feet and screamed into her radio, "Adami? Adami! Answer dammit! Please, someone!"

Another red beam flashed, this time narrowly missing the Illusion, almost blinding Aila and Regala.

Aila sprang into action, "We can't wait. I'm bringing us up to 100%"

Mordin shouted over the comm, "No! Too risky, cannot be certain systems can handle power. Could cause another overload."

"Either we take our chances, or sit here waiting for whatever that thing is to kill us off. VI, transfer all controls to my terminal."

Aila's console blinked once as she was given complete control of the ship. She paused a moment in silent prayer, then entered the command to bring the ships power to 100%. All over the ship lights and terminals flickered to life. She immediately engaged the sublight engines and brought the Illusion towards the stricken Adami. A red beam flashed through the empty space the Illusion had been sitting moments before.

Aila brought up the communications, "Normandy, see if you can keep that bosh'tet distracted. I'm going to do a quick pass for any survivors from the Adami."

"Aye aye, we'll keep that bastard distracted for ya."

Aila turned her head slightly as Tali launched herself over the seat next to her and sat down, "External sensors are active, scanning for escape pods and life-signs." she stared at the screen for what seemed like an eternity, "There. Three escape pods are transmitting life signs. Looks like there are two life signs drifting nearby as well."

Aila nodded sharply and brought up the ship-wide comm, "This is Sergeant Aila'Gerrel. The Adami has been destroyed by an unknown enemy. We are approaching the survivors now. I need a team to head to the cargo bay and prepare to assist with recovery."

She brought up the external cameras near the cargo-bay and opened the exterior doors. "Tali, is there anyway we can slow down their entry into the cargo bay so they don't land too hard?"

"Well...the first Normandy had a rapid-insertion system that created a mass effect field between the bay and the ground, allowing someone to step out of the bay and drop to the surface. If this ship has one, I might be able to modify that into a net of sorts...", her voice trailed off as she furiously manipulated the controls in front of her.

"Okay, this should work. It'll still be a hard landing, but its the best I can do."

Aila nodded and rocketed the Illusion towards the nearest survivor. She said a silent prayer as she watched the body drift towards the open docking bay.

"Got him. Life signs are stable." both Aila and Tali exhaled with relief. The Illusion gracefully slid through the wreckage of the Adami as she recovered the remaining survivors, barriers flashing sporadically as they made contact with the floating bits of scrap.

While this unfolded, the Normandy was engaged in a deadly dance with the unknown enemy. Time and time again the ship unleashed its brilliant red weapon, only to have the Normandy sweep out of the way at the last minute, her Thainx cannon lashing out in retaliation.

Tali opened a channel to Joker, "Joker, we have everyone on board and are preparing to jump to FTL."

"Right. We'll be right behind you."

Aila manipulated the controls and the stars blurred as the Illusion leapt into FTL, followed closely by the Normandy.

Author's Note: So there it is. I'm not 100% happy with this chapter, but between the start of school and the move, my brain isn't firing on all cylinders. I might re-visit this chapter at a future date, based on feedback. As always, gimmie them comments! I don't care if you tear into every grammatical error I made, just give me something!


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Thanks for the comment, Iverness, in answer to your question: Yes, I'll admit it kinda was, but I'll be able to integrate it well enough. Keep up the comments, y'all. The more feedback I get, the less painful it'll be to read. Also, I'm approaching a chapter where I'm going to need some more characters (5-6 ish) in a hurry, so if any of y'all have ideas/want a cameo/et al, hit me up in the comments.

* * *

Aila let out a shaky sigh and collapsed back into her seat as the familiar blue hue of FTL travel enveloped the cockpit. She glanced over to Tali, who seemed to be similarly relieved to be in the safety of FTL for the moment. The image of the Adami in its death throes flashed vividly through her mind. Her ship. Her home. In one brief moment, both had been cruelly torn away from her. She brought her knees up to her chest and held them, fighting back the tears that threatened to spring from her eyes. _I'm a marine, dammit...I need to be strong. Father would want me to be strong. _She turned around and looked at the seat her Lieutenant had been sitting at moments before. It was empty.

"Lieutenant?" Aila turned towards Tali, "Tali, did you see where the Lieutenant went?"

Tali shook her head, "No. The ship isn't very big though, she shouldn't be too hard to find. I'll keep an eye on things up here."

Aila simply nodded and stood up slowly, feeling exhausted. She made her way down the long corridor, past the newly activated work stations, a handful of which were being analyzed by the technical team, most of them finding solace in their work, all of them silently dealing with their collective loss in their personal ways.

As she approached the galaxy map, Mordin made eye contact and gave her a knowing nod, "She's in the communication room, Ms. Gerrel. The door is just behind this wall."

Aila froze for a second and tilted her head, "Wha? How did you...?"

Mordin smiled slightly, his voice slower and more gentle "Just lost your ship. Hard on any species, especially a quarian. Saw the Lieutenant go into the communications room a few minutes ago, knew you wouldn't be too far behind."

Aila nodded her thanks and headed for the door. She paused a brief moment as she collected her thoughts before reaching out and activating the door control.

The doors slid open and revealed a round room, bathed in a dim white light emanating from the emergency lighting in the floor. The room was simple, with a few chairs arranged in a circle and a holo-projector in the middle. Aila spotted Regala sitting against the wall near the back of the room and, taking a deep breath, walked over. The door slid shut behind her, taking the noises of the ship with it and leaving them in silence.

Aila slowly sat down next to her, crossing her legs and laying her fidgeting hands in her lap. They sat in silence for a few more moments, Aila desperately trying to find the words that needed to be said.

"Lieutenant, I-.."

She was cut off as Regala jumped to her feet, crossing her arms and facing away from her. "Get away from me." she whispered, the sting of anger clearly evident on her words.

"Lieutenant-"

"I said shut up!" Regala turned, her entire body shaking with barely suppressed rage, hands balled into fists "They're dead! What part of that hasn't sunk into that air-headed helmet of yours? Dead! All because of...of this...fucking piece of trash!" she turned and kicked one of the chairs, breaking it free from its pedestal and sending across the room. "We lost some of the best damn people in the Flotilla. And for what? Some abandoned science experiment go wrong that those damn Turians wont let us keep anyway."

She hung her head and took a deep breath, her anger slowly ebbing away. The sound of sobbing caught her attention and she turned to Aila, who had her knees in her chest and was crying softly.

"Sorry Aila..."

"No..." she shook her head, "no...you're right...only. Only it wasn't the ship. It.." she fought back a sob, "It was me!" Her head lowered into her hands and fresh tears splashed onto her mask, her words flowing out between sobs, "I had to touch the pad. I had to let my curiosity get the better of me. I couldn't follow orders. If I had just followed you they'd be alive. Everything would be okay. I killed them. Its all my fault...its all my fault..." her voice trailed off into more tears. She fervently wished the floor would just swallow her up.

She sensed someone sit down next to her and felt two arms envelop her.

"I'm sorry Aila...I shouldn't have acted like that...its not your fault. I never thought it was." Aila sobbed and leaned her helmet into Regala's chest. Regala pulled her in tight and adjusted her head-cover. They sat in silence for a few minutes, slowly collecting their emotions.

Regala broke the silence, "Y'know. If you hadn't done the touch-pad thing, the Normandy wouldn't have been there. Then we'd all be dead."

Aila forced a slight chuckle, "I can see how this is certainly the better of the two options."

"But then again, if I were dead, I wouldn't have broken my foot on that damn chair..." Regala laughed and grunted in pain.

"You broke your foot? Keelah, we need to get you to a doctor! Why didn't you say so sooner?" Aila sprang up and activated the medical program on her omni-tool, "Looks like it's a pretty clean break, shouldn't take too long to fix. We'll get to the med bay and Doc'll-..." Aila stopped suddenly and a silence returned to the room.

Regala reached out and took Aila's hand, "Hey. We can't do anything for them now. They'd be the first to tell us to hurry up and move on."

Aila shook her head and nodded, "Right. No sense in crying over split milk. Need to keep a stiff upper lip and all."

"Milk? And what do our lips have to do with anything?"

Aila giggled as she helped Regala to her feet and they opened the door, "I'll explain it later. Lets get you down to the medical bay and get ya patched up. I think Yizid is on board. A field medic is better than no medic."

Mordin turned and tapped on his omni-tool, "Field medic good. Doctor better. I'm fully certified on Asari, Human, Salarian and Turian physiology. Could easily be certified for Quarian. No such certification. Unfortunate." he swiped his omni-tool over Regala's foot, "Standard fracture on the right metatarsal. No suit punctures. Medical systems have already administered medi-gel, good. Simple splint should do the trick. Have your medic bring his kit to the medical bay. Follow me."

Regala and Aila shot each other a look and tried not to laugh as they followed the quirky doctor to the stairs.

The blue eezo core of the gigantic Mass Relay glowed like a small star, occasionally obstructed by the rotating rings that kept the massive amounts of power in check. Aila had always found the relays to be mesmerizing, and had often considered getting a holo, or model of one while on her pilgrimage. This was an absurd thought, of course. Taking up valuable space for a personal item? No quarian would ever be so selfish.

Joker's voice came over the comms, "Well, its good to know that when Shepard is gone, his girlfriend is still able to throw a good space battle."

Tali shook her head, "I'm so glad I lived up to your expectations, Mr. Moreau."

"Nah. Need to piss off a few more machine-alien hybrid races bent on galactic destruction before you'll get my approval. But until then, whats our plan? Citadel? Migrant Fleet? Sandy beach in the Bahamas with a Mojito and a hula dancer?" His voice sounded hopeful on that last point. Too hopeful.

"Citadel. John is going to want to know what happened, and I'd feel more comfortable with the defense fleet between us and whatever attacked us." _Not to mention we wont risk bringing a dangerous enemy directly to the Flotilla _she didn't add.

"Greaat. Artificial sunlight, strict no swimming policy and everyone's favorite Council." Joker groaned, "I'll get my flip-flops."

"I'm sure you'll live somehow, Joker." Tali shot back.

EDI chimed in, "I could create some hula dance algorithms, Jeff. The grass skirt and coconut shells might prove to be problematic, however."

Tali rolled her eyes, "We'll see you two there." She cut the comm before Joker could chime in again.

Aila turned to her and wrung her hands, "Uhm...what about the ship? Won't the Turians get mad and want it back?"

Tali turned to Aila as she set up the jump, "They might. But having a Spectre on your side is a nice conflict resolution tool."

Aila felt the surge as the Illusion was caught in the relay's mass effect field and rocketed through space, followed mere seconds later by deceleration as the ship was caught by the relay at the other side.

Aila gasped as she laid eyes on the Citadel for the first time. The massive white wards reached forward from the center ring, illuminated by the blue-purple nebula swirling behind it.

Tali smiled "Impressive, isn't it?"

Aila could only nod her head, marveling as they sped towards the structure. It was then she noticed the swarm of ships surrounding it. Cruisers, dreadnaughts, frigates, fighters, you name it it was there.

A gravely voice broke her trance, "Unidentified vessel. State your designation and intentions immediately."

Tali indicated that she would take care of it and activated her comm, "This is Ambassador Tali'Zorah vas Normandy nar Rayya. This vessel is under my personal control and we are here to meet with Commander John Shepard and Councilor David Anderson."

There was a brief moment of silence, then the voice replied "Clearance granted. Proceed to dock 14 Alpha. Citadel control out."

Tali nodded towards Aila and transferred the co-ordinates to Aila's screen. Aila glided the Illusion to its dock, astounded at how tiny it was compared to the Citadel. She gently reversed thrust until she felt the ship get caught by the docks Mass Effect field, followed shortly by the metallic clank of docking clamps latching onto the hull.

Tali stood, motioned for Aila to follow, and made her way to the airlock. They were joined by Mordin and Garrus.

The VI sounded as they entered the airlock. "Equalizing pressure. Equalization complete. Exterior door open."

The exterior airlock slid upward and revealed two humans. One was wearing a very nice suit, dark blue and black with dark red highlights. He was obviously a politician, but he carried himself with an air of military precision.

The other human would be instantly recognized anywhere, even though he wasn't wearing his signature N7 armor. Anyone who had been anywhere near a extranet terminal on the Flotilla would know the face of John Shepard.

The commander grinned and snapped to attention, saluting "Welcome back to the Citadel, Ambassador Zorah."

Tali kicked his shin lightly and pulled him into a deep hug, "Bosh'tet. I told you not to do that."

"Old habits die hard, ma'am". Aila swore she could see Tali's eyes roll before stepping back and motioning to her, "John, this is Alia'Gerrel. She's the acting captain of the Illusion."

Shepard tilted his head as he offered his hand, "Gerrel? As in Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema?"

Aila shook his offered hand and nodded small, "I, erm...yes..yes Sir. I'm his daughter."

Shepard smiled, "I hear the captain of the Hudson didn't want to give you up after your pilgrimage. Impressive, Captain Kryzinski is notorious for being a hard ass." Aila shifted awkwardly and looked down, blushing furiously.

The other human chuckled and moved towards Aila, "Come now Shepard, you'll embarrass the poor girl to death. I'm Councilor David Anderson, just call me Anderson."

Aila shook his hand as well and smiled, "Yes sir Counil-...sorry. Er...Anderson."

He smiled and turned to Tali. "Now, we hear you had some action out there. Care to fill us in?"

"We were attacked. The EDI was able to get a pretty good picture of the ship..." she tapped into her omni-tool and both Anderson and Shepard activated theirs. Their expressions suddenly became very grave and they exchanged knowing looks.

"Come with me. We'll need to convene the Council." Anderson started to head towards the elevator.

"Wait!" everyone turned as Regala limped up, stowing her assault rifle, "I'm coming with you."

Shepard looked at Tali, then back to Regala "We're about to meet with the Council. I'm sorry, but you aren't authorized to be there, miss...?"

Regala stood up straight and stared him right in the eyes, her voice speaking with authority "Lieutenant Regala'Darini vas.." she paused a moment as her voice cracked, "...vas Adami...and with all due respect, Sir, I am coming. Sergeant Alia'Gerrel is in my squad and..." she looked at Aila, "...and I already failed the rest of my squad, Sir...I won't risk losing her too."

Aila rested her hand on Regala's shoulder, "You didn't-..."

"I did. A commander never separates their squad while outside the Flotilla, that was one of the rules that was pounded into our heads..." She turned at stared at Aila, "That is one mistake I wont be making again."

Shepard and Anderson exchanged nods, "Very well, Lieutenant. I wont stand between you and you duty."

The group moved off the gangplank and headed towards the elevator. It was a tight fit, but they all managed to squeeze in. There was silence as they descended, every last one of them cursing the inventor of elevator music.

Garrus cleared his throat, "So Tali-.."

"Shotgun." Tali interrupted.

"Someday you won't have that with you. And when that happens, I'll be ready." Shepard barely suppressed a snicker as the car came to a stop in the C-Sec Academy.

"You two really need to find a new comedy routine" he dodged a swipe from Tali and jumped out of the elevator.

The Councilor moved towards a vehicle with Garrus and Mordin. Shepard and the three Quarians boarded a second car and the small convoy lifted off and headed towards the Citadel Tower.

Author's Note: Since I know a lot of you will be asking, the foot bones were my own idea. I theorized that a Quarian foot is kind of a hybrid between human and dinosaur. They have two toes and a "dewclaw" like appendage. However, their foot has evolved towards a more human foot structure. The result is that the metatarsals have moved downward (taking the dewclaw with them) and the phalanges have shrunk. Also, Turians are very reptilian in appearance, and since dextro-amino acid based lifeforms are relatively rare (Just Turians, Quarians and their worlds), its logical to assume that the dextro-amino species would be more similar as a whole than the levo-amino species of which there are, approximately, more than I can count.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: The comment traffic is picking up. Me like. Keep those comments coming. Those comments help me make the reading more enjoyable for you! Now, to address some specific comments:

pepoluan: I really hated how I broke up those chapters as well, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out a better way to do it. Good advice on streamlining it, I'm planning on rewriting each chapter and incorporating grammar/flow/etc tweaks when the chapter in question gets close to its expiration date. I'm glad you like Aila, her personality is almost an exact replica of one of my housemates, makes writing in character that much easier.

porcupinetheater : I really appreciate you taking the time to review my story. A suggestion to you and others for writing Mordin, just imagine Mordin saying the line. I usually get in-game and have a conversation with Mordin before I write his part so I can get a feel for the tempo and sentence structure.

I might get some flak for my portrayal of the council but, to be honest, they just don't appear in-game nearly enough for me to get a feel for their character (hell, they don't even get named) so I took a slight artistic license.

* * *

"This council is now called to order. Let us get to the topic at hand. Councilor Anderson; you indicated that you had new information regarding... " the Asari Councilor's voice trailed off in Aila's mind as she glanced around the massive chamber they were now standing in. It was easily the size of the central amphitheater in the live-ships back on the Flotilla, probably bigger. And trees! Everywhere! Getting anything to grow on the Flotilla was about as easy as teaching an Elcor to change his vocal pitch. But here they seemed to grow almost as effortlessly as on a planet. If that weren't enough, they were pink! Aila resisted to urge to giggle as she touched the leaf she had managed to swipe on their way in. _Pink trees... this is incredible! I need to get one to take back to the Flotilla. Add some color to those drab interior-..._

A sharp elbow to her side brought her out of her daydream. She glared at Regala, who simply nodded towards the Council, a smirk evident on her eyes. Aila winced and turned to see, just as she suspected, everyone in the chamber staring at her expectantly. She also noticed that Shepard and Garrus seemed to have acquired a cough of sorts and were hiding it behind their hands.

"Miss Gerrel? Are you all right?" Aila was somewhat taken aback at the Asari Councilor's concern, but she quickly composed herself and managed to keep her nervous twitching to a minimum.

"Oh... yes... sorry Councilor... " she paused as she realized she didn't know the Councilor's name, " Uhm... Councilor. It's been a really rough day or... two I guess it is now. I apologize."

The Asari Councilor held up her hand, "Tsarina, Miss Gerrel, and there is no need to apologize Miss Gerrel, losing so many comrades at once is hard on anyone."

Aila smiled as she felt relief wash through her, "Thank you Councilor Tsarina."

"Now. To business. The data recovered by Ambassador Zorah and the Normandy regarding the ship that destroyed the Adami is troubling." She turned and indicated for her Turian counterpart to continue.

"The ship that attacked has been spotted twice before," he tapped his podium and three images appeared on a screen suspended behind the Councilors, "This image was captured by the Normandy's external cameras. This was taken by an observation camera on the Bekenstien relay, and this was taken by a civilian container ship near Omega.

Anderson continued, "In the past month, four of our top Spectre operatives have been found dead on Bekenstien, Illium and Omega. The fourth was found amidst the wreckage of his ship. In three cases, cause of death was single gunshot to the head, from close range, apparently fired by the individual themselves. These readings and images were captured near estimated time of death for the operatives on Bekenstien and Omega."

Tali reached out unconsciously and grabbed Shepard's arm, "You think that whoever this ship is, they're targeting Spectres?"

Tsarina nodded curtly, "Yes. We believe the assailant assumed Commander Shepard was aboard the Normandy, followed her, and attacked when you entered the remote system. As for who the assailant is, we don't have any concrete evidence. However what little data the Normandy was able to gather about the ship's weapon system, we hypothesize... "

"Reapers." Everyone turned to Commander Shepard, who was staring out of the large window behind the Councilors. "The Reapers are trying to kill me off so I can't stop them again."

Aila felt a little light-headed at the revelation. _Reapers? Those are myth! Legend! An idea cooked up by those crazy Hanar to play devil to their Prothean 'gods'! They can't be serious! _She could tell by the way Regala tensed up that she was thinking close to the same thing.

Anderson nodded sagely, "We came to the same conclusion. Its the only explanation that makes sense. No other group would be able to crack our encryption and track down our Spectres."

Garrus' mandibles clacked questioningly, "That doesn't make sense. If the Reapers want to get rid of Shepard, why not go after him directly. Why kill the other Spectres?"

"Maybe they wanted to try and keep their involvement secret. Make it look like someone else that has a vendetta against Spectres?" Tali theorized.

"No, that's not right." Everyone turned to look at Aila after her outburst. She fidgeted slightly under the attention, but composed herself and continued. "Its the same concept behind strategic strikes. If the reason your team is losing is because of the enemies Dreadnaughts, then destroy the ship yard that makes them. The Reapers have been thwarted twice by a Spectre, so they're eliminating the Spectres. That way when they finally do get Shepard, there wont be some other hotshot Spectre waiting to take his place."

The Turian Councilor waved his hand dismissively, "Preposterous. Not only are the Reapers decades away at the nearest, they'd have no way of knowing who and where our Spectres are."

"Didn't you say the same thing about the possibility of Saren turning against the galaxy?" Aila questioned, "And about the Collectors targeting the humans on behalf of the Reapers? As far as I can see, this matches our ancient, mass-genocidal, robots friends of ours perfectly."

The Turian's mandibles flared angrily, "You would do well to remember your place, Quarian." the way he spat out "Quarian" caused Aila's fists to clench, "You are here as an observer and to answer questions when asked. Nothing more."

"I have a name." Aila muttered as she reluctantly stepped back a pace. A slightly uncomfortable silence fell over the chamber.

Tsarina mercifully broke the silence, "Everyone in this chamber has the right to voice their opinion. Miss Gerrel's theory does make some sense, however. Given the Reaper's actions in the past, these events do seem to fall within their, as humans put it, modi operandi."

"They could've used Saren's knowledge to break our ciphers." Anderson interjected, "Even though we changed the codes and channels, the same basic transmission principle is in use."

The Turian Councilor rubbed his head-scales, "The implications of what you just said are...troubling. If the council's most secure communications are vulnerable, then all of our military channels are as well. It would make mounting a defense extremely difficult. That is, if the Reapers really are behind this."

Tsarina tapped on her console, "Regardless of who is behind these attacks, finding a more secure solution should be a priority."

"What about the quantum entanglement system that the Normandy used to connect to the Illusive Man?" Tali queried.

The four council members exchanged glances before Anderson spoke, "I thought that type of communication was simply point to point."

Tali shrugged slightly and nodded, "Well... yes... and very expensive, but it is also impossible to intercept. It was just a thought, maybe we could develop something similar that isn't quite so expensive." She cast a sideways glance to Mordin.

Mordin crossed his arms and tapped his chin, "Interesting proposal. Easier to develop cheaper production methods." he fired up his ever present omni-tool, "Yes. Could develop ways to mass produce couples. Magnetic? No, wouldn't achieve required pairing. Element zero? Possible. Would need large amounts... " he turned and briskly walked out of the chamber, still talking to himself.

Shepard shrugged and grinned at Tali, "And now he disappears for a few months."

Tsarina shook her head, a slight grin invading her features, "Now on to the subject of determining the entity behind these attacks. Commander Shepard, is your crew still together?"

Shepard nodded, "Yes they are Councilor. None of them wished to return to Cerberus. As for my team, Grunt returned to Tuchanka, Zaeed is off... doing what Zaeed does and Thane is on the Citadel with his son. The rest are ready to go as soon as I give the order."

"Very well. Commander Shepard, the Council is formally assigning you the task of determining and, if possible, eliminating the entity behind these attacks on our Spectre agents. If there are no other items, I propose we end this session of the-..."

"I have one more item," the Turian Councilor interrupted, "We still need to address the issue of the Turian vessel "found" by the Quarians."

Aila's stomach did a back-flip. She had hoped no one would bring this topic up. _Maybe they'll feel nice and not execute little-miss-ship-stealer?_

Tsarina turned to her compatriot, "There is little to discuss on the matter. The vessel was abandoned for a period of five years. Under current galactic law, any vessel abandoned for a period of more than 4 years is considered forfeit and may be legally salvaged." Aila swore she inhaled hard enough to change the air pressure in her suit.

The Turian's mandibles flared angrily, "This is secret Turian technology, property of the Turian Hierarchy. As a military vessel, it should be rendered exempt from the galactic laws and returned to the Hierarchy immediately."

"If you wish to dispute the legality of Miss Gerrel's salvaging operation, you may file a formal complaint which will be reviewed at a later date." Tsarina calmly responded.

The Turian punched his console, "Until then I request that the vessel be impounded and declared off limits."

"If I'm not mistaken, until they say otherwise, its not in your authority to do that" Tali commented.

"It is evidence in a potential theft and espionage investigation by the Hierarchy." he countered.

"Enough!" Shepard's booming voice echoed around the room, bringing everyone to silence. "As a Citadel Council Spectre, I am exercising my right to requisition any vessel to aid in my investigation. I hereby formally requisition the Illusion and all personnel currently on board."

The Turian Councilor slammed his fist onto his podium, "Preposterous! A Spectre can only exercise that right under the most extreme of circumstances!"

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "Someone is killing of the best agents this galaxy has, what part of that doesn't fall under "extreme circumstances", Councilor?"

Tsarina held up her hand, "The Council will vote on the matter."

All four councilors punched in their vote. "The motion carries by a vote of 3 to 1. The Illusion is now temporarily under the command of Commander Shepard until such time as he releases it or his investigation is declared complete."

Aila finally exhaled and wobbled slightly as she went mildly light-headed. She focused on one of the floor tiles to keep from toppling over.

Shepard respectfully inclined his head to the council members, "Thank you Councilors. Let it be known that I am retaining Aila'Gerrel as the vessels captain."

Aila's head snapped up, "Say what?"

"From what I hear, you kept a admirably level head during the attack. That coupled with your performance while on your pilgrimage and I see a sufficiently competent captain." Shepard added with a reassuring smile.

Aila didn't know how to respond, but something in Shepard's demeanor and smile gave her confidence. She snapped to attention and smartly mimicked the human salute, "Thank you Commander. I won't let you down."

Tsarina made a few more notations and clasped her hands in front of her, "I hereby end this session of the Citadel Council. The next scheduled session will be in 3 days."

The other councilors closed out their stations and, with the exception of Anderson, filed out of the room.

Shepard turned to Tali and Garrus, "Garrus, head back to the ship and have Kelly recall all of the crew. I want to be ready to depart in 6 hours."

Garrus nodded, "You got it Shepard."

"Tali, how long would it take to finish repairs to the... Illusion... ?" Shepard turned and raised an eyebrow in Aila's direction, who nodded. "To the Illusion."

Tali brought up her omni-tool, "Well, since we started our meeting the crew has been running diagnostics. Looks like basic damage, should only take 2 or 3 hours to fix if the supplies are handy. However, it does seem the VI is damaged, that could be difficult to fix."

"Damaged? How so?"

"Segments of the code are corrupted, but I have no way of knowing if they were corrupted before or after the ship's other systems failed. It could be that the VI got corrupted and that caused the failures. Or it could be that what caused the failures also corrupted the VI's coding."

Shepard thought for a moment, "Could we use EDI to fix the code?"

Tali shook her head, "At this point the VI is beyond repair. We would have to replace the program completely."

Shepard motioned towards the elevator and fell in step next to Anderson, "Sir, is there any chance I could get some Alliance support on this? Hackett owes me more than a few favors."

Anderson laughed and shook his head, "Hackett retired last month. Guess he wanted to get out before you cashed in on all those IOUs"

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "If Hackett left, who got the reigns to Fifth Fleet?"

Anderson's grin widened even further, "Admiral Hannah Shepard."

The Commander almost tripped, catching himself on the closed elevator doors, "You have got to be kidding, Anderson. She turned down the promotion once before, and even then the Alliance isn't in the habit of giving fleets to newly minted admirals."

Anderson grinned, "Your mother is a damn fine commander and very popular with the troops. The Alliance realized this, they also were aware of the tremendous moral boost having a Shepard as a Fleet Commander would have on the Alliance as a whole. Hackett himself requested her as his replacement, I might add. As for why she accepted admiralty this time around? Said it had something to do with pride and refusing to be the same rank as her son."

Shepard laughed and shook his head as the doors opened, "Sounds like her, but I'm not a captain."

Anderson held up a his index finger and stepped into the elevator, "Yet. But you will be soon. You'll be an admiral yourself by the time your career is over."

"Still doesn't explain why I'm just now finding out about it." Shepard mused.

"Just went through a few days ago. The change-of-command ceremony isn't for another two days."

Shepard sighed, "That means I have to dredge out my service dress. I hate that thing."

The elevator doors closed and the car was once again filled with that terrible music. As they neared the bottom, Tali and Garrus exchanged a mischievous glance.

"So Garrus, tell me about C-Sec." Tali asked, barely containing her giggle.

"I have a sniper rifle." Garrus shot back.

Shepard groaned and shook his head, "Oh you two are real original... "

Author's Note: That's the last elevator-question/weapon-of-choice-reference banter. I promise. I'm sure some of you are reading this chapter and thinking, "Admiral Shepard? Wtf?" Here is my explanation; Hannah refused the promotion before the events of ME2 because she wanted to honor her son by captaining a vessel like he did before he died. Now that Shepard is alive and kicking, Hannah feels like she can resume her ascension up the ladder. Plus, what parent would want to be the same rank as, or lower rank than, their kid? And the Alliance gave her a fleet from the get-go because she possesses her son's natural affinity for leadership. (he got his rugged good looks from his father. The natural affinity for whoop-ass came from both)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Yay another chapter! School continues to force me to adhere to sporadic updating schedules and prevents me from fully polishing each chapter as well as I'd like. Oh well, maybe its a sign that I need to work on my speed-writing. Anyway, love the comments, keep them coming! Glad I'm not the only one who can't stand the Turian Councilor.

* * *

The party had stopped in the Councilor's office. While the Commander and the Councilor discussed some minor details, Aila and Regala took the opportunity to admire the Presidium. Aila could hardly believe the grandeur that was before her. Everything was a glimmering white color, the water was a brilliant clear blue, even the artificial sky was awe inspiring. What really struck her was how empty the place was. So much open and wasted space, even more so than the Illusion. Thousands of her people could live in this grand chamber, and still hardly see each other.

Tali walked up next to Aila and sighed, leaning against the railing, "I never get tired of this view."

"Its just so... big! And empty! Its almost discomforting." Aila admitted.

Tali laughed, "I felt the same way. I feel it less now, but I'll admit I still feel calmer on the Flotilla."

"Ambassador, whats the plan after the Commander finishes his meeting with the Councilor?" Regala inquired.

Tali laughed and pushed herself away from the banister, "First off, its Tali. Not Ambassador. Second, the Illusion will be heading to the Flotilla. We need to make the Admiralty Board aware of the situation as well as letting those who wish to stay with the Flotilla do so." Tali paused, "You are comfortable with being away from the Flotilla, right Aila?"

Aila blinked. She hadn't thought about that implication yet. "Well, yes. I mean, as much as I'd like to stay in the Flotilla, I'd probably be more use helping you and Shepard with this mystery killer business. Especially if those Reaper things are behind it."

Shepard walked up next to Tali at this moment and smiled, "Glad to hear it. Good news is the damage turned out to be minimal, they're finishing up the last details right now. Unfortunately it'll be a few weeks before we can get a VI programmed that'll work with a Normandy Class ship. They're installing a rudimentary VI right now, it'll be able to handle the critical VI tasks, but y'all will have to check your extranet accounts manually."

Aila laughed, "I think I'll live. It'll be hard, but we'll make it."

Shepard winked and turned to Tali, "I assume you'll be heading back to the Flotilla to help smooth things over with the Admirals?"

Tali sighed and nodded, "Yeah. I need to report to them in person anyway, might as well do it now."

"Your excitement is so evident." Shepard joked.

Tali lightly punched his shoulder, "You do remember that the only reason I accepted this Ambassadorial posting was to avoid becoming an Admiral, right? That should tell you something; I'd rather deal with the Council than the Admirals."

Shepard looked over her as though he was deep in thought, "I'd rather fight a Reaper with a butterknife..."

Aila giggled, "I think most people would rather fight genocidal robots than have to convince a politician to do anything."

Tali nodded, "At least with a Reaper you'd have a chance."

"Hey now, I hope you aren't applying that politician insult to all of us." Anderson yelled across the office.

Next door an Elcor and a Volus were distracted from their documents by the sound of laughter.

"Amused: It would seem the earth councilor has some guests over."

The Volus waved his hand agitatedly, "The earth-clan... is always making things... difficult for the rest of us... to perform our duties."

"Irritation: You need to stop complaining about the Earthlings, friend. Condescending: Need I remind you they allowed your people to colonize Patavig?"

The Volus inhaled deeply and returned to his datapad, "Bah."

* * *

The Citadel rapidly diminished in size as the Illusion sped towards the Mass Relay. Aila was once again in the pilots seat, happily letting her fingers dance across the haptic interface. She found herself humming a mildly annoying song one the Hudson crew members always sang when they left dock about being "on the road again", a "road" being a corridor that was used by primitive ground-based transportation on earth.

The ship shuddered slightly as it was grabbed by the Relay and rocketed towards Sigurd's Cradle, where the Flotilla was currently restocking at a mineral rich planet.

There was a slight flash as the Illusion returned to regular space. Aila was surprised to see the Flotilla already in visual range. They must've just arrived moments before. Her console beeped and informed her of an incoming communique.

The curt, business-like voice of the Flotilla's control officer cut across the comm connection, "Illusion. We've been expecting you. Please proceed to docking cradle 8 on the Rayya. Welcome home."

Aila tried to hide her surprise at being waved through so quickly as she replied, "Thank you, control. Illusion out."

She closed the comm and turned to face Tali, who had just arrived. "They just said "hi" and waved us through. Even on the Adami we had to give some kind of identification."

Tali laughed and adjusted her ceremonial head-cover. "One of the benefits of being an Ambassador. We get preferential treatment. How long until we're docked?"

Aila turned back to her console for a moment, "5 minutes."

The Illusion gracefully banked as it approached the Rayya, the 300 year old live-ships gray, rough pitted hull contrasting sharply with the smooth black surface of the Illusion's. Aila winced as she bumped into the cradle, a little harder than she had hoped, but still not bad considering she's had all of 10 hours of practice flying this particular ship.

The indicator flashed green, indicating the she was docked and the cradle had sealed around the outer door. Aila couldn't resist copying a routine the pilot of the Hudson had done on numerous occasions. She flipped on the ship intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you for flying Illusion space-lines. On behalf of the ships crew... me... I would like to welcome you to the Migrant Fleet. Please retrieve all baggage from the overhead bins and enjoy your day!"

Aila turned to see Tali leaning against the wall, shaking her head, "Are you sure you're still Aila'Gerrel and not a human hiding inside her suit?"

Aila jumped out of her seat and shrugged, "Nah, I think I'm just weird."

Tali giggled, "You and Joker would get along so well. C'mon, lets get this visit started. I'm sure the Admiralty Board is eager to have something new to bicker about."

Tali, Aila and Regala entered the airlock and waited for the decon routine to finish. The outer door slid upwards and revealed four quarians. Aila jumped forward and wrapped her arms around the nearest one, "Daddy!"

Han laughed and twirled his daughter effortlessly, "Oh Aila, I was so worried when we lost contact with the Adami. I feared the worst!" he set her down and adjusted her head-scarf, "Then I get a message saying that you are alive and, if that weren't enough, the effective captain of your own ship?"

Aila laughed and fidgeted slightly, "Well. I wouldn't say I'm the captain, dad. I'm just the curious one who couldn't resist the shiny buttons."

Han shook his head and hugged her again, "Either way, I can't begin to tell you how glad I am to have you back."

They broke their embrace and turned their attention to Tali and newly elected Admiral Kar'Danna. Kar was laughing and shaking his head, "You've brought yet another strange and fantastic ship home with you, Tali. Your father would be proud."

Han nodded in agreement, "I know Rael would."

Tali was blushing under her helmet, "Thank you. Both of you." she cleared her throat and stood up straight, "Now. I believe there is some business we need to address."

Kar turned slightly and motioned towards the hallway, "Indeed. The rest of the Admirals are arriving as we speak, there is a conference room set up for us to use."

The group made its way to the conference room, weaving in and out of the crowds as they did so. Aila sighed contently. After the empty space of the Citadel, the cramped and crowded halls of the Rayya felt comfortable and reassuring. She found herself wondering what the Admiralty Board would think about the Illusion and desperately hoped they would let her and Regala stay on board, she had grown attached to the majestic beauty of the vessel, even if it was horribly inefficient in terms of interior space.

They arrived at the conference room and another Quarian was waiting outside the door. Tali quickly walked over and embraced her tightly, "Auntie Raan!"

Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay chuckled and returned the hug, "Tali'Zorah. Seeing you always brightens my day. I hope your time on the Citadel has been productive and enjoyable."

Tali stepped back and shrugged, "It's been enjoyable enough, but I feel like I'm lecturing a group of Krogan on the finer points of particle theory half the time."

Raan laughed in a deeply, "Welcome to the world of politics, my dear. Now you know the pain I deal with every day."

Han crossed his arms with mock disgust, "You aren't exactly the easiest person to debate with yourself, old friend."

Kar raised his hands palms outward and shrugged, "I'm still new, I'm staying out of this."

The entire party laughed and entered the room, drawing a quizzical glance from the sole occupant. Aila recognized her as Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh, the most cryptic of the Admirals according to the rumors she heard on the Adami.

She stood and adjusted her scarf smartly, "Zaal just sent word that something "urgent" came up on the QwibQwib and instructed us to begin without him." Aila could tell Daro didn't have a high opinion of the absent Admiral and was glad he wasn't showing up. She knew from personal experience that no one was happier to hear those words than her father, as long as she could remember Zaal and her dad had been at odds with each other.

Shala, as the senior Admiral, took her seat and indicated for the rest of the group to do the same. Regala stood uncertainly by the door and seemed to be trying to determine if she should wait outside. Shala motioned towards her, "Please be seated, Lieutenant. You are here as a guest of Tali."

Regala quickly jumped over to the seat next to Aila and sat down, tenting her hands and trying to hide her nervousness.

"Now. Let us get straight to business. The topic of this meeting concerns the ship currently being commanded by Sergeant Gerrel, the... " she checked her data-pad, "Illusion. Commander Shepard has submitted, through Ambassador Tali'Zorah, a request to have the Illusion and Sergeant Gerrel assigned to him on a temporary basis to assist with his current mission. Also, it would seem the Commander's current target is also the vessel responsible for the destruction of the Adami. I will now open the floor for debate regarding the matter."

Han cleared his throat, "I, for one, am against this proposition. Not only is the Illusion the most advanced vessel this Flotilla has possessed in over 300 years, the current status of the vessel's command needs to be addressed before we can begin using the ship properly. Namely the inability for anyone except Aila to perform any command functions." he turned to his daughter and opened his hands apologetically, "I'm the first one who'll agree you are going to make an excellent captain, darling, but it would be irresponsible of me as both an Admiral and as a father to let you take such a responsibility so soon after your pilgrimage."

Aila stiffened and nodded. She wasn't happy, but what could she do? They were right, as much as she hated to admit it. She was still barely considered an adult, and captaincy was the highest honor a Quarian could hope to achieve.

Shala shrugged slightly, "The discussion of captaincy is moot until we address the issue of the ships command functions. Tali, you've had a chance to analyze the system, do you have any insight on the matter?"

Tali cleared her throat softly, "I hate to admit it, but the system is baffling me. I managed to trace all command queries to what appears to be the central computer and VI core. The curious thing is that none of my efforts to dig deeper have turned up anything. I've isolated the programs and hardware related to the VI from the rest of the ships systems, but I can't isolate individual systems. One curious fact I did notice is that the computer seems to be larger and drawing far more power than a system of that type normally would. This can be partially explained by the Turian's using lesser efficient materials in the computers construction, the rest is probably damage from whatever damaged the rest of the ship's systems."

Han made a few notes on his datapad, "So you're saying this ship doesn't have separated sub-systems? That all of the functions essentially run through the same master program?"

Tali shrugged, "That's what it looks like, but like I said, I was getting numerous anomalous readings so my conclusions cannot be considered completely accurate."

"We will have the Flotilla's computational experts take a look." Shala brought up her omni-tool and sent the appropriate requests as she continued, "Back to the issue of Commander Shepard's request; as I understand it, the Commander submitted the request to prevent the Hierarchy from reclaiming the vessel?"

Tali nodded, "Yes. John-... uh, Commander Shepard, used his authority as a Spectre to requisition the Illusion for his current mission. Councilor Triax wanted the vessel to be impounded until the Hierarchy's salvage-nullification request was addressed."

Han leaned forward slightly, "And this mission is to find the same vessel that attacked the Adami?"

"Correct."

Daro spoke for the first time, "I think it would be careless to grant our newest vessel leave to embark on a wild-goose chase at the whim of Commander Shepard. Especially since we do not fully control the vessel as of yet."

"As I said before," Han began, "we cannot allow the Illusion to embark on any missions until we have full control of it. I say we keep the Illusion docked with the Rayya until we break this security system. Then we can discuss helping Commander Shepard."

"The Admiralty Board will vote on the matter." Shala and the other Admiral's activated their omni-tools and cast their votes. "5 to 0 in favor. The Illusion is to remained docked until we are able to gain complete control of the vessel." she turned towards Aila and Regala, "Have you two submitted reports on the attack on the Adami?"

They both nodded, "Very well. You two may be excused, if we have any additional questions we will contact you."

Aila and Regala jumped to their feet, saluted, and briskly walked towards the door. They both let out a sigh of relief when the door shut behind them. Aila turned to Regala and tilted her head, "Well. That was fun. Now what should we do with ourselves?"

Regala thought for a moment, "We find the Rayya's marine commander and ask if he needs anyone to fill patrol shifts."

Aila was unable to hide her heavy sigh, "I was thinking something more along the lines of finding a sleeper pod."

"Shape up marine. Lets go." Aila watched Regala turn and march down the hallway, rolling her eyes as she followed, _aaand just like that the old Regala is back in full force... wonderful._

As they rounded the corner, Regala stiffened and stood to the side, saluting the Quarian making his way the opposite direction. Aila recognized him immediately and did the same.

"Pardon us, Admiral Koris."

The Admiral stopped and looked at Aila, "At ease! Ah! Aila'Gerrel, I was actually looking for you."

Aila sneaked a glance at Regala, who just shrugged.

Zaal continued, "I'm currently working on an experimental antibiotic solution. Its passed all the computer simulations and control tests, now its ready for a full-fledged test. I was hoping you would be willing to volunteer?"

Aila felt the back of her neck tingle slightly, but ignored it, "If you don't mind me asking, why me Sir?"

Zaal laughed, "Two reasons; first is that with the business regarding our newest ship, you won't have an assignment for at least a month. And second, who better to successfully test a new antibiotic than an Admiral's daughter?"

Aila thought for a second, "Well, it sounds easy enough. But how are we going to test it though? And how long will it take?"

Zaal shook his head, "We won't be testing it in the literal sense. After we add the vial to your suit's IV system, I can do some blood-work to determine if this cocktail is more effective than the ones we currently use. After we add the antibiotics, it'll take 4 hours to disperse fully and probably another 20 to do a full blood work-up. You'll be back by dinner tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll do it. Beats drawing the night patrol."

Zaal spread his arms in excitement, "Excellent! There is no time to waste, my shuttle is in hanger 3."

He turned back the direction he came from and set off. Regala indicated that she was going to stay on the Rayya. Aila waved and jogged after the Admiral.

They arrived in the hangar that held Zaal's shuttle in no time, and were quickly ferried over to the QwibQwib. The Admiral had been going on about this being another step towards colonization and how the race was going to live on despite the Geth uprising. Aila nodded and pretended to pay attention, while secretly thinking about how she now knows why her father cannot stand this man.

After docking, Zaal quickly shepherded her to a medical bay. Aila took a moment to take in her surroundings. It seemed as though this bay was better kept than most, and it was obviously used for scientific purposes as the walls and tables were covered in beakers, datapads and various other scientific knick-knacks.

Zaal walked ahead of her and started a discussion with a Quarian who, Aila assumed, was the lead doctor/scientist on the QwibQwib. The doctor looked her direction once, then back to Zaal, who then turned and nodded sharply in Aila's direction.

Suddenly four hands roughly grabbed her from behind. Before she could yell out, a needle stabbed into the base of her neck, her eyes went wide as she felt her entire body go numb. She was carried over to a medical bed and could hear the sounds of straps being attached to her arms and legs. The drug continued to disperse into her bloodstream and she could feel her consciousness slowly ebbing away.

She saw a helmet lean over her and heard a voice, "Start the first injections."

Darkness overwhelmed her.

A/N: Hooo snap, cliff-hanger! Lets get some speculation going here! What is Zaal doing? Why did he target our kitten-loving heroine? Will there be emotional side effects? Is Ramen really considered a delicacy? Does Batman save Robin? What if the hokey-pokey really IS what it's all about? I wanna hear y'alls thoughts on the matter!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Woah! Two updates in two days! Its a miracle! Don't get used to it, I already had this chapter pseudo-written and mapped out already, whereas most chapters are the products of me just letting the story go wherever it wants to (i.e. I just type and see what happens). This chapter'll mark a deviation from the slightly comical nature of the first eight (Wow, eight? Really?). Without further ado. Read. Enjoy. Comment.

* * *

The punching bag rocketed backwards, nearly knocking fleet Marine Kal'Reegor off his feet and forcing him to stumble backwards a step. He held his hands up in the shape of a "T", "Keelah Reg, you're beating that bag half to death. Got something on your mind?"

Regala leaned forward and rested her hands on her knees, panting heavily. She looked up at her friend and shrugged slightly, "Sorry... Kal. Just... distracted." she brought up her omni-tool and tapped a few times, then sighed heavily.

Kal steadied the swinging bag and glanced at her knowingly, "Still nothing from Aila?"

Regala shook her head, "It's been three weeks. Every time I ask Koris, I get some meaningless babble about difficulties with blood-work and her, apparently, agreeing to remain for further testing. And yet, she hasn't so much as sent me one of her pointless... cat pictures with comments on them... "

Kal patted her shoulder and headed towards the door, "You know as well as I do that the Admiral's like to keep their secrets. Admiral Koris probably wants to keep his progress a secret so that he can dazzle the rest of them and increase his visibility. Wouldn't be a dramatic unveiling if a couple grunts like us knew."

"I suppose." Regala sighed, "I still don't like it. Call me paranoid."

* * *

Doctor Del'Rania vas QwibQwib focused in on his display, reaching up to switch off his external speakers. He couldn't think worth a damn with all this racket. He brought up the life-signs monitor, his eyes idly taking in all the data. Her heart rate was higher than he would like, but not quite high enough to cause any worry. He was most interested in the real-time blood and tissue analysis readouts. Three weeks and she was already to the point of being able to be exposed to even the poorest quality station air. These next three injections should boost her immune systems even farther, possibly even to the lower-end of the human spectrum. Confident the next injection was about to be delivered, he turned back to his subject_, _his mind drifting back to the conversation he and Zaal had when she first arrived;

_Del finished hooking up the IV and began running diagnostics, "You do realize that these current injections will cause her unbelievable pain. We wont be able to risk letting her black out either, not if we want accurate data and efficient adaptation." _

"_I don't care if it kills her. We need this data and these results. The future of the Flotilla is more important than one Quarian's life." the Admiral laid his hand on the doctor's shoulder, "We're doing amazing work, friend. Every day takes us one step closer to the end of our Exile."_

The doctor snapped out of his reverie as her body stiffened and arched into the air, indicating the next injection had entered her system. He smiled and made note of the time, _two more injections... then we can expose her to planet-level particles._

* * *

Regala paced in the empty squad room. She knew that Aila was probably fine, and that she was simply overreacting, having become over protective after losing the rest of her squad on the Adami. She was with an Admiral, after all. A mildly sleazy Admiral, granted, but still one of the paragons of Quarian society. However, she hadn't rocketed up the ranks or survived her pilgrimage by not, to use a human term, trusting her gut, and right now her gut was screaming that something wasn't right.

She sighed heavily and checked her omni-tool again. Still nothing from Aila or in response to her latest query directed at the QwibQwib. She decided to try and find Admiral Danna and request permission to take a shuttle over there and see Aila herself. She didn't really care if she looked paranoid. Briskly leaving her room, she headed towards the central amphitheater, knowing that the Admiral still enjoyed frequenting that area and interact with his crew. Bringing up her omni-tool again, she prepared a message to the XO asking for the Admiral's exact location. Rounding another corner, she barely managed to avoid walking smack into another Quarian heading the other way. She glanced up and saw the distinctive shawl of Admiral Daro'Xen and quickly snapped to attention, saluting, "My apologies Admiral!"

Daro stepped back and crossed her arms, glancing at Regala's still active omni-tool, "No harm done, I suppose. May I ask what is so important that it requires you to take your attention away from walking?"

Regala closed her omni-tool and shrugged somewhat embarrassingly, "It's... well, my squad-member, Aila'Gerrel, she went over to the QwibQwib to help Admiral Koris with some project three weeks ago and I haven't heard anything from her since. It's probably nothing, but I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong."

Daro appeared to contemplate for a second, before fluidly bringing her own omni-tool up and opening a communique with the QwibQwib.

Koris' voice came over the radio, "Daro, this is unexpected. What can I do for you?"

"When were you planning on telling the rest of us about this little side-project of yours, Zaal?"

Koris' voice wavered almost imperceptibly, "What project are you referring to?"

Daro stifled a frustrated sigh, "The one you have Han's daughter helping you with, her commander has been trying to contact her for a few weeks."

There was a pause, "We're almost finished with our experiment, she'll be back aboard the Rayya in a day. Two at most."

"Thank you Zaal." Daro flipped off her omni-tool and looked at Regala.

Regala cleared her throat, "With all due respect, I think he's lying, ma'am."

Daro turned and headed towards the shuttle-bay, "It's quite obvious he's at least hiding something. Follow me."

The two walked briskly towards the shuttle-bay on the Starboard side of the Rayya. Daro's omni-tool bleeped and Shala's voice could be heard, "Daro, we need to have a meeting of the admirals. The technicians haven't been able to map out the central computer core just yet, but they have found evidence that it is roughly three times the size it needs to be. We need to discuss the implications."

Daro whirled around a corner, causing the occupants to scatter out of her way, "Now isn't a good time, Shala. I have something rather important to discuss with Zaal. I'll contact you when I get this all wrapped up." she flipped off the comm channel and paused as they walked past one of the squad rooms. She stuck her head in and pointed at Kal'Reegor, "Ah. Reegor. Excellent. Grab another marine and follow me." without waiting for a reply, she resumed her march. Reegor grabbed the nearest marine he could find and jogged to catch up, shooting Regala a quizzical glance. Regala shrugged and shook her head.

Arriving at the shuttle-bay, Daro wasted no time in herding them all into her personal shuttle and instructing the pilot to head for the QwibQwib.

Aila blinked and slowly fought off the drowsiness and haze currently afflicting her, struggling to piece together some semblance of thought. She stared stoically at the ceiling, not even bothering to fight her bonds. She found the pain was less if she didn't fight it, not by much, but it was all she could do. Slowly her mind drifted over the past few... however long it was. She remembered the needle injecting the sedative. Then waking up to the doctors busily attaching wires and sensors through her suit and into her skin, providing... Keelah knows what data. Then it started. The first injection tickled a little, causing her to squirm and sweat slightly as her discomfort rose. It got exponentially worse after that, feeling as though every fiber of her being was burning and freezing at the same time, causing the past days to slide together in one horrible nightmare. She had been terrified when they removed her mask and helmet, exposing her to the ship's air supply, but she hadn't succumbed to diseases yet, perhaps this lab is decontaminated. _That or Keelah feels like he's fucked me over enough._

She lifted her arms and felt the no familiar feel of the magnetic cuffs, preventing her from moving her arms more than an inch in either direction. As she dropped her arms, she felt her left thumb brush against something in her belt. Blindly fishing the object out she, tries to hold it up and strains her neck downward. She gasps softly as her eyes fall on a playing card... with a comical joker on the face. She sobbed, her head falling back to the bed, tears once again filling her eyes as she thinks back to that last game. _Everything was going so well... why? Why did everything fall apart? _Her mind rapidly cycled through her memories of the Adami, each one causing her heart to pang with sadness. The resource scouting missions, the constant repairs to the ship, breaking into the captain's cabin-

Her eyes flew open as she mentally focused in on that memory. _The captain's cabin. The magnetic latch. The piece of composite. _She glanced down at the card in her hand again and, for the first time, felt a slight smile cross her face. She strained her neck painfully and got a good look at the magnetic connecter holding her cuffs to the bed. Her fingers trembling slightly, she repositioned the card so that the edge was against the bed frame and magnetic base. Silently praying to whoever would hear her, she began to slowly wiggle the card between the two magnets. After what seemed like an age, the card was fully inserted, forming a slight barrier between the cuff and bed. She closed her eyes and steeled herself; the magnets wouldn't have been weakened a drastic amount, but enough for her to possibly separate them... which would probably result in a heavily bruised wrist. Taking a deep breath, she jerks her left arm with all her might, stifling a scream as the cuff brutally digs into her wrist. Panting, she pulls on the cuff, feeling it slide ever so slightly towards her, allowing her to get better leverage. Again she forces her arm upward, still thwarted by the magnet. She wiggles the cuff further towards her chest and catches her breath, blocking out the pain from her throbbing wrist. _You idiot, these cuffs are able to hold a healthy marine, what is a sick little girl like you going to be able to do? _Her despair is interrupted as the console next to her beeps. She sees a timer and data on an injection, set to activate in 60 seconds. Her eyes open wide with fear as she realizes her time is running out. Her body fueled by desperation, she yanks again on the cuff.

A loud snap echoes through the room as her wrist is dislocated. Unable to hold it in, she screams out, instinctively trying to pull her wrist into her chest. As the pain releases its control on her thoughts, she becomes aware of a pressure on her chest... and the feeling of her suit on her fingers. She lifts her arm, cuff still attached and smiles weakly, ignoring the grotesque way her hand is forced to the side. Aila fumbled awkwardly with the cuff encircling her right wrist. Finally freeing it, she sits up and with 20 seconds left on the timer, yanks the IV out of her arm.

She quickly released the cuffs on her legs as well as the detached one on her left wrist. Glancing once again at her hand, she laid it on the table next to the bed and closes her eyes. Another crack and scream reverberates off the walls as Aila slammed her wrist with her good hand, popping it back into place.

_Now I'm free... now what? _She stands uncertainly and spots some surgical tools on a desk near the door. Cautiously stumbling forward, she feels a slight wave of relief wash over her as her hand closes around one of the surgical knives.

Feeling more certain of herself, she stumbled towards the door, still favoring her wounded arm. Reaching the door, she paused for a moment, contemplating her next move. Standard security procedure mandates two guards for a prisoner... but she was hardly the type of prisoner one would expect to be engaged in a jailbreak.

Before she can come to a decision, the indicator on the door flashed green. She leaped to the side and pressed herself up against the wall, knife at the ready.

A guard idly strolls in, completely focused on his omni-tool, "It's probably just their lab-rat waking up. I'll check it out."

Another voice answers him, "I'm 100 meters away, hold up for half a second! If the Admiral found out I left to grab food paste he'd space me."

"I'm already inside, don't fog up your helmet." turning off his omni-tool, he glanced at the now vacant bed and froze momentarily in disbelief.

That pause was all Aila needed, jumping from her hiding spot, she jams the knife into the guard's jugular, hilting it in one swift strike. The guard grabbed his throat and immediately dropped to his knees, gurgling in fear and panic. Aila reached down and relieved him of his pistol.

"Hey Tanil, you want number 14 or number-..." the other guard's voice trailed off as he notices his partner falling to the floor. Dropping the nutrient tubes, the guard frantically reached for his assault rifle, "Oh shit!"

Aila leveled the pistol at her target and squeezed off one round.

"Look, I don't care if you're Keelah himself. The Admiral was adamant that no one gets aboard the QwibQwib until he says so." the guard sighed at having to repeat himself a third time.

Daro was furious. Who did this smug little bosh'tet think he was talking to an Admiral like that? As much as she wanted to brow-beat this punk, the lock-down on the QwibQwib only confirmed her suspicion that Zaal was up to something.

"Listen, Lieutenant," she stressed the last word menacingly, "You can either let me through, or you can have a fire-fight with myself and these three marines behind me." she indicted over her shoulder.

The two guards glanced at each other, "I don't-..."

The guard was interrupted by a slightly muffled muzzle report from down the hallway. Daro shot one glance at Kal and Regala before forcing herself past the confused marines, "Sounds like someone just shot something or someone on your ship. You're with me."

Drawing her pistol, Daro moved down the hallway in the direction of the gunshot, Kal beside her sweeping the walls and corners with his assault rifle. Rounding a corner, the party spots a Quarian sitting against the wall, an assault rifle lying next to him. Kal jogs forward to inspect him and shakes his head, "Right in the left eye. Poor bastard didn't have a chance. At least it was painless."

"This individual wasn't so lucky, it would seem" Daro squatted next to the prone body in the lab and rolled him onto his back, "Surgical knife in the throat, probably took a few minutes to enter the afterlife."

Kal shook his head, "So... what? Psycho patient in the medical bay overpowers this one, takes his gun, eliminates the other one and... went where?"

Regala stepped towards the beeping monitor, "Injection aborted... " she reads silently to herself. Looking down at the bed she picks up the one detached cuff. _Whoever was on the receiving end of that injection obviously wasn't expected to enjoy it. _The air filter in the room clicked on and cycled the air, causing a scrap on the floor to flutter and catch Regala's eye. Her arm shot down quickly and snatched the card, turning it over slowly. _A joker? _Her eyes snapped open wide, dropping the loose cuff she turns to Daro and Kal. "It's Aila! Aila was in here!"

Kal swirls and jogs over to Regala, "You sure? How do you know?"

"This card! The Adami! When... when we left that last time, she was playing cards! I saw her stick this one in her belt!" Regala felt sick as her brain began to piece together the evidence. She turned back towards the bed, "The bed... oh Keelah... she was a test subject... that's why the bed has straps..." she wobbled slightly.

Kal reaches up and steadies her, "Hey Reg, you alright?"

"We have to save her, Kal. We have to find her and help her. I can't lose her too!" Regala shakes her head in an attempt to regain her emotions, holding the card to her chest.

Daro turned from her inspection of the beeping console and patted Regala on the shoulder, "We'll find her, Lieutenant. I think I know where she's going."

Clearing her throat, Regala safely tucks the card away and draws her assault rifle, "Where is that, ma'am?"

Daro brushed past them towards the door, calling over her shoulder, "Exactly where I'd go. The bridge."

Zaal paced back and forth on the cramped bridge of the QwibQwib, mind racing. _That meddling Daro'll be onto me soon. I should've grabbed that marine friend, nosy little bosh'tet. Now I have to push the time-line forward._

He stopped and turned to the doctor, "You said the last injections were successful?"

Del'Ranna nodded, smiling under his helmet and hardly able to contain his enthusiasm, "More than expected. Her immune system is now able to withstand even Turian viruses. She still gets sick easily, but the mere act of walking a planet without an envrosuit is 91.42% safe. Ship based existence is 98.71% safe. And those numbers are without the standard antibiotic concoctions."

Zaal smiled and turned to the window, gazing at the fleet, "Incredible. What it took us 300 years to lose, we regained in 3 weeks... how long before a user-friendly procedure is developed?"

The doctor opened his omni-tool, "A year or two at the soonest. Won't be sure until the last injection takes effect... " the doctor paused, "Odd... it says the injection was aborted. Damn thing must be on the fritz again." The doctor's communicator beeped as he contacted one of the guards, "Tanil, can you go into the lab and check on the injector?"

Silence.

"Tanil?"

Still no reply.

"Mediv, report."

Zaal turned swiftly and strode over to the doctor, barely noticing the bridge doorway opening, "Whats happening? Why aren't they answering?"

The doctor shook his head, "I don't know, I-..."

A gunshot interrupted the doctor. Zaal looked up just in time to see one of the marines by the door fall backwards. Another shot rang out and the second marine's mask exploded in a shower of glass. Zaal shoved the doctor towards the door and jumped behind his seat, hunkering down as more shots rang out. One of the helmsmen fell onto his console, a giant hole in his back. Zaal looks the other way and sees his communications officer crumble to the floor as a bullet rips through her heart. Covering his mask, he closes his eyes tight, fully expecting to feel a bullet rip through him at any moment.

Regala jumped and stared down the hallway as the first shot rang out.

Kal looked at the schematic on his omni-tool, "That sounds like it came from the bridge!"

A second shot was heard, followed quickly by a third. Regala stowed her rifle and sprinted in the direction of the bridge.

"Regala! Wait!" Daro tried to grab her but missed, she motioned to the marines and took off after her.

Regala lost count of the shots as she continued to run. Suddenly the shots stopped and silence returned to the corridor. She stopped for a moment, wishing her heart wasn't beating so loudly.

Kal and Daro jogged up behind her, panting lightly.

"Sounds like the fire-fight is over. Maybe the shooter got all of his targets?" Kal speculated.

Daro shook her head, "'Tis far more likely the bridge crew took out the shooter."

Realizing what she said too late, Daro turns just in time to see Regala take off in a dead-sprint towards the bridge.

Silence envelops the bridge, the only noise being the rhythmic humming of the ships engines and systems. Zaal slowly stands and turns towards the door, gasping with fear and shock as he sees Aila, tenderly holding one arm tight to her body, the other steadfastly holding the pistol to his head.

Despite the danger of his situation, Zaal couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she was without her helmet. The artificially stimulated hair follicles responded nicely, he observed, as her face was framed by neck-length raven-black hair, contrasting sharply with her pale purple skin. He makes eye contact and feels his breath escape him as his knees almost buckle in fear. Never before has he seen such icy eyes, he could feel the hatred behind them.

Her lips parted slightly and she uttered one word, "Why?"

Zaal stammered a bit, willing his mouth to move and form words, "I-I-I-I... it... it was for the good of the Flotilla!" he finally gasped out, "The-the tests... they needed to be done... y-you are the key to saving our race."

Aila slowly walked forward, pistol still elevated, "How?"

Backing slowly away from her, Zaal keeps blabbering quickly, "The injections. They were nanomites! They-they reconstructed your immune system... you... you have one now! You can walk ships and planets without your helmet! We... we can duplicate your white blood cells... we can make a treatment for the entire Flotilla!"

She stopped briefly when he mentioned not needing her suit, "You mean... you fixed my immune system?"

Zaal let his shoulders sag slightly and sighed with hesitant relief, "Yes! Exactly! Do you realize what this could do for the Flotilla? Its a miracle!"

Aila stiffened and rushed towards Zaal, pinning him against the wall with her pistol pressed against his visor, "A miracle? I spent the last... I don't even know how long in a living hell! You cannot begin to imagine the pain I was experiencing! And now you have the nerve to call it a FUCKING MIRACLE?" she kneed him in the stomach and watched him fall to the ground sputtering, "Why me? If it was such a fucking historic study, why didn't you put your ass in that chair?"

Zaal coughed and looked up into her cold eyes again, "We weren't sure the treatment was safe... I chose you because... because you're Han's daughter... and because with you out of the way... I could take control of the new ship..."

Aila's hand tightened around the trigger as tears fell down her cheeks, "That's it? I was not just expendable, but more useful in death? And why? Because with me out of the way you could get some fucking starship and a chance to completely ruin your greatest enemy? You... you..." her body shook with rage, "Son of a BITCH!"

Zaal held his hands up and cowered, "That is only why I chose you in particular, if it wasn't you, it would've been someone else, the experiment was too important not to perform! You have in your blood the means to save the Flotilla! I gave that to you! Think of the greater good!"

Aila's lips twisted into a pained smirk, "I am."

Her hand jerked back as the pistol fired, the projectile obliterating the Admiral's face mask and lodging itself deep into the bulkhead behind him. As the former Admiral's body sagged to the floor, Aila felt the world begin to spin and lost her balance, vaguely aware of a voice yelling her name as she fell. She felt someone catch her and cushion her fall, the embrace felt oddly familiar. As the darkness crept into her vision, she saw a face-mask appear above her.

"Regala?"

A/N: **Whew**! That was heavy! And long. Don't worry folks, the next chapter will be more upbeat and sunshine and rainbows than this one was (granted, that's not saying much). As always, comments are more than welcome!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I've gotten some complaints about my portrayal of Koris, specifically that I'm portraying him as a villain just like most fics do to Daro. My reasoning is that most serial killers and those who commit heinous crimes tend to be the ones that are least suspicious. How many times have they investigated some gruesome crime and the person they catch is described by their neighbors as "A really nice guy" or "Would never hurt anyone"? Something about Koris' attitude during Tali's trial in ME2 rubbed me the wrong way, made me think he might put his quest for "peace with the Geth and a new world for the Quarians" agenda ahead of someone's well being. I want to extend thanks to all of my reviewers, especially porcupinetheater and pepoluan for reviewing so much. I really do pay attention to them, so keep 'em coming.

* * *

The steady beeping of the heart-rate monitor pierced the ever present drone of HVAC and power systems. Regala leaned against the glass separating the observation area from the clean-room, watching as the doctor finished checking Aila's vitals. Letting out a shaky sigh, Regala closed her eyes and saw Aila, helmet-less on the bridge of the QwibQwib, surrounded by the bodies of the late Admiral Zaal and his crew. She shuddered involuntarily at the sight. Not the bodies, she'd seen her fare share of death in the years since her pilgrimage. What chilled Regala's blood was Aila without her protective helmet on, breathing the unfiltered air that filled the ships despite their air purification systems. She fought, but felt a tear trickle down her cheek, cursing the ancestors for taking everyone she ever cared about. The door separating the two rooms hissed, bringing Regala out of her thoughts. The doctor walked over to his seat and sat down hard, letting out a sigh and shaking his head.

Regala felt her heart freeze, the lump in her throat almost preventing her from speaking completely, "Doctor? How... uhm... how bad is she?"

The doctor's shoulders started shaking and he began running his hands over his head-scarf. Then Regala heard... laughter? She looked at Aila, then back to the doctor, her confusion growing every second, "Doctor?"

"She's... fine." He shook his head again, "More than fine."

"So her immune system and the antibiotics are fighting the infection?"

The doctor looked directly at the Lieutenant's face mask, "There is no infection. Her immune system isn't just fighting the bacteria, it's... it's either ignoring them or... has already fought them off."

Regala's mouth hung open as she slowly comprehended what she just hurt, turning slowly she placed her palms on the window, "So... you're saying she... that her not having a helmet..."

The doctor laughed again, "It didn't matter! She's no more vulnerable to bacteria and pathogens than a... a human child. The more severe diseases that fully grown turians and humans have adapted to are still dangerous, but the simple act of taking her suit off... its no more dangerous than a human drinking water!"

He turned and quickly activated his terminal, sending his data off to the admirals and colleagues. Regala felt her eyes water again. This time in joy; Aila was going to be alright! More than alright. Even a non-scientific marine such as herself understood what the doctor just said, Aila could be the first Quarian in 300 years to walk a planet's surface without a suit.

The medical bay's doors slid open and Admiral Gerrel jogged in, followed by Shala and Tali. He ran up to the window and stared through, his breathing a little heavier than normal.

"Aila! Doctor, please tell me she's going to be alright." Han rested his helmet against the window, fighting to keep his emotions under control. Shala gently laid a hand on her friends shoulder, looking towards the doctor in anticipation.

Tali pulled up her omni-tool and quickly accessed the medical systems in the bay, her eyes darting over the readouts.

The doctor turned slowly and let his shoulders slump slight, "Han... it's... it's a miracle."

Han's head snapped up and he turned quickly, "What is? Tell me!"

The doctor shrugged in disbelief, "Her immune system. She's... it's..."

"Keelah!" Tali's outburst caused Han to jump, Tali looked up from her omni-tool and fixed her gaze directly at the doctor, "How? How is this possible?"

The doctor laughed and placed both hands on his helmet, "I have no idea! Whatever Zaal was working on... can't even begin to fathom how-..."

Han's fists slammed into the doctor's desk, causing the data-pads to jump, "Tell what is going on with my daughter!"

The doctor grabbed a data-pad and shoved it into Han's hands, "Look at these; the most recent readings from Aila's immune system and blood-work. What do you see?"

Han glanced at it for a moment, Shala craning her neck to see over his shoulder, "I see... no sign of bacteria... no evidence of antibody injection... " he looked up in confusion, "No antibodies? I was under the impression that she was exposed to unfiltered air."

The doctor nodded, "She was. Look at her white-blood cell count and activity."

Han scanned down and read the data. A soft gasp escaped Shala's lips and she stepped back, leaning slightly against the wall for support. Han dropped into the doctor's seat, his eyes still glued to the data-pad, "This... this can't be... it's impossible..." he looked at the doctor, "The sensors must be off!"

Tali shook her head, her voice excitedly wavering, "The machines are working perfectly, Han. Aila's immune system is... its fixed."

There was silence as everyone thought about the implications of Tali's words. The reverie was interrupted as one of the monitor's connected to Aila's suit beeped. The doctor tapped on his console and sighed happily, "She's waking up. "

Aila groaned as her eyes flickered open, staring at the unfocused ceiling. A helmet came into her vision and she shifted her unfocused eyes towards it, squinting as it slowly came into focus.

"D... dad?" she croaked, her throat abnormally dry.

"Oh thank the ancestors, Aila, you're alright." she felt her hand squeezed between his and squeezed back, blinking as her grogginess faded.

Sitting up with a groan, she glanced around the room, "Where... where am I?"

Han released one of his hands and ran it over her head-scarf, "The Rayya. You're safe now, Aila."

Shaking her head to clear the vestiges of unconsciousness away, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and leaned forward onto her knees, "What happened over there, father? I remember a medical bay... injections... my helmet being remove-..." her head snapped up, "My helmet! They removed it... Keelah, I don't know how long ago, how... how am I still alive?"

Han shook his head, "I don't understand it myself, dear. But apparently Zaal's... injections... improved your immune system. You don't need the suit to survive anymore... not on the ship or even... on a planet."

Aila stared at him in disbelief for a second before running a hand over her mask, the memories of her ordeal slowly ebbing back into her mind. Her voice hardened, "What about Zaal and those scientists?"

Han paused for a second, surprised at the hostility in his daughter's voice, "The scientists that survived have been arrested... Zaal and the lead researcher... " his voice trailed off.

Aila fixed him with a steady gaze, "They deserved worse, father. You know it."

"I know, Aila. I wasn't passing judgment on your actions, I doubt anyone would act differently under the same situation."

Aila slowly slid off the bed, wobbling slightly and leaning against Han for support. She shook her head and waited for the dizziness to pass. "Well. I'm sure the Admirals want to talk about what happened over there. The sooner that happens, the sooner I can put this behind me."

She slowly began walking towards the door, speeding up slightly as her balance returned.

Han placed a hand on her shoulder, "Aila? Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine. Lets just get this over with." she snapped.

* * *

Shala glanced around the conference room, mentally checking off the attendance. She had requested the QwibQwib's executive officer be present during the meeting, as well as the doctor that checked Aila and the chief investigative lead. Her gaze swept the room one more time before resting on Aila. She smiled sadly; considering what the poor girl just experienced, she was holding together very well, although her usual chipper behavior was absent.

Receiving a nod from the marine near the door, Shala cleared her throat; "Thank you all for coming on short notice. I will dispense the formal introductions and get right to the point; a tragedy has occurred on the Flotilla. Aila'Gerrel was captured and experimented on by the late Admiral Zaal'Koris. Aila, having managed to escape, was witnessed killing the Admiral. It is assumed she is also responsible for the deaths of 7 other Quarians on the QwibQwib... at this moment I will cede the floor to Torin'Jaet vas Iktomy, lead investigator. Torin?"

Shala indicated to the individual to her right, a stocky (by Quarian standards) individual with dark blue and gray suit colors, who immediately activated his data-pad and began debriefing the occupants of the investigation thus far. Aila closed her eyes and tried to ignore what was being said, the memories of exactly what happened still fresh in her mind. She flinched slightly as the image of Zaal's shattered mask appeared in her mind. Something was... wrong. She couldn't place it, but she felt like that image, that sight, should cause her to feel differently... she glanced around the room, everyone's attention was riveted to Torin and his presentation.

She gasped softly as her mind latched onto what was missing. Remorse. She felt absolutely none. No regret, no remorse. The realization that she would gladly kill every one of them again hit her consciousness like a brick. She clasped her hands on the desk and squeezed tightly, breathing deeply to keep her calm, trying to focus back in on Torin's words.

"... the investigation is still on-going, as of right now we would have enough evidence to charge Ms. Gerrel with murder. However, we are currently analyzing the QwibQwib's data banks bit by bit, investigating the possibility of these actions being self-defense. Admiral Raan?"

Shala went to stand, but was waved down by Daro, who cleared her throat, "I believe I may have some evidence to submit on that regard. While the investigative team focused their attention on the bridge and medical lab, I took it upon myself to investigate Zaal's personal logs. As Torin said, the security cameras inside the medical lab. However, they were not completely disabled, they just had their feeds diverted to Zaal's terminal."

Daro tapped into her omni-tool and an video appeared on the rooms screen, showing a handful of quarians milling about setting up equipment and medical machines, "This is the earliest log, dated one day before Aila arrived."

She tapped a few buttons and another video took its place, showing Zaal walk through the door, Aila right behind him. As Zaal and the doctor conversed, one of the assistants could be seen filling a needle. The doctor nodded and two marines grabbed Aila, while the assistant injected the contents of the needle into her neck. The trio then carried her over to the bed, buckling the straps as the doctor hooked up the monitors and other equipment.

The room was silent as the image paused, Daro pressed a few more buttons and another still frame appeared, in this one Aila could be seen without her helmet. As the video played, the doctor tapped a few commands onto his console. A split second later, Aila's body tensed and arched off the bed, her mouth opening wide in, what everyone knew, was an agonizing scream.

"Enough..." Han's fist slammed into the table, "ENOUGH!"

Daro quickly cut the feed, and turned to face Han, who had leaned over to embrace Aila tightly, "The... other days of the recording... they are more of the same." Daro's voice was soft and wavered slightly. She turned to look at Torin, "You wanted evidence to prove self-defense? There it is."

Torin nodded quietly and made the appropriate notes on his omni-tool. Han gave Aila a squeeze and returned to his seat as Shala began speaking, "We'll discuss that topic once the investigation is done. Right now I want to know what Zaal did to my daughter and why."

Shala motioned towards the guest next to her, "Doctor, could you reveal your findings?"

Doctor Korna'Gaet vas Rayya stood up and brought up his omni-tool. "Well... yes. What I have here are the preliminary readings. It would seem that the scientists on the QwibQwib devised some sort of... nanotechnology which they then used to-... "

"Nanotechnology? That's preposterous!" Kar burst out, "Nanotechnology is a rudimentary science at best, to have something capable of fixing a creatures immune system is impossible!"

The doctor looked rather flustered and glanced Shala's direction before rebutting, "I don't know how they got the technology, all I do know is that they were used to reconstruct Aila's immune system on a molecular level. They deconstructed her immune system and reconstructed it."

The doctor quickly sat down and ceded the floor back to Shala, who shook her head in disbelief, "Nanotechnology... where did Zaal get this? He couldn't possibly have created this technology, not with the resources and equipment the fleet has."

Kar motioned with his hand, "Shala, wasn't the QwibQwib sent to investigate a potential salvage location a few weeks ago?"

Shala quickly checked her omni-tool and nodded, "Yes, that is correct. The QwibQwib was on secondary salvage duty 4 weeks ago. The Adami was already boarding the Illusion, so we sent Zaal. His report shows that there was nothing of value aside from a small amount of eezo from the core, just an abandoned research station."

Daro shook her head, "Too coincidental. Zaal goes on a salvage mission, reports that the only thing worth salvaging is a few grams of eezo, then "magically"", she sarcastically curled her fingers, "conducts an experiment with nanomachines?"

Han voiced his agreement, "I'm with Daro. Zaal got that tech from somewhere, this salvage mission is the most logical source. We need to send someone back to scour that station again."

Shala sighed, "We can't just yet, with the loss of the Adami and the impounding of the QwibQwib, we need to re-work the schedules. Even then, if this station is the source of the nanotechnology, the mission could be dangerous."

"Send the Illusion." Everyone turned to look at Aila, "The Illusion has the same stealth system as the first Normandy did, it can approach the research station undetected."

Shala tapped the bottom of her mask, "An... interesting proposition. The ship's stealth capabilities certainly bear consideration. However, as I understand it, a malfunction with the stealth systems is what caused the previous crew to perish. How can we be sure the system is safe for operation?"

Tali chipped in, "The systems that failed were repaired at the Citadel. Furthermore, I specified shielding be placed between the conduits in the elevator shaft to prevent one failure from affecting other systems. As far as I'm concerned, the Illusion is ready to go. There is one other thing to think about; Commander Shepard's request."

Han shook his head slightly, "We aren't discussing that right now."

Tali raised her hand politely, "I know, Han, but let me finish. Right now the only reason the Illusion is here at the Flotilla is because the team investigating whether the ship could be classified as salvage hasn't filed their report yet. The odds of them siding with us, as Quarians, is slim at best. However, if we show that we'll use this ship for the betterment of the entire galaxy, the odds of them letting us retain ownership will increase. Helping the savior of the galaxy save it again would certainly earn points in our favor. Besides, I'm sure Shepard would let the Illusion investigate this station, especially if it has the potential to produce technology that can be used against the Reapers."

Shala was deep in thought, "You make a very good point, Tali. However, I could not ask a Quarian to put their life on the line for a mission that has the potential to produce little, if any, benefit to the Flotilla. I would have to make participation on the mission completely voluntary."

Tali nodded, "Agreed, Shepard could probably spare some of his crew to fill in any gaps."

Kar stiffened, "You mean his Cerberus crew?"

Tali turned and snapped at Kar, "No. Shepard's crew. They all had a chance to leave the Normandy and return to Cerberus after we defeated the Collectors. Each and every one of them cut all ties to the Illusive Man."

Shala motioned for Tali to sit, "Calm down Tali, Kar was just being cautious. We know the Commander wouldn't assign someone untrustworthy to the Illusion. I will prepare a message to disperse to the Flotilla asking for volunteers."

Torin stood up and cleared is throat, "In light of the evidence Daro presented, the Judicial Council believes Aila'Gerrel vas Adami acted in self-defense. All charges will be dropped."

Shala laughed and smacked her mask with her hand, "Keelah, that thought slipped my mind. Thank you, Torin." she glanced at her data-pad, "One last issue. Command of the Illusion. Tradition and laws mandate that a Captain must command a Quarian vessel. However, the Illusion's current status prevents anyone except Aila from exerting full control."

Han interrupted, "Shala, forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a provincial rule that states that a vessel may be commanded by an officer as low as Lieutenant Commander if approved by the Admiralty Board?"

Shala nodded, "Indeed, there is, but Aila is a Sergeant. The only time a sergeant is allowed to exercise command decisions is during a battle if the senior staff have been killed."

Daro waved her hands in frustration, "Oh stop it. Just promote her to Lieutenant Commander, we all know the command-level ranks have more to do with popularity than actual military skill as of late. To be honest, from what I've heard about Aila's service record, she's a better leader than half the Captains currently in this fleet."

Kar stifled a laugh, while Shala shook her head in amusement, "That seems like a rather drastic and... unorthodox action to take, but we are hardly in orthodox times. Aila? We're discussing your future, what do you have to say about it?"

Aila was in shock and shook her head a few times to clear it. They wanted to make her a Lieutenant-Commander? From Sergeant? Not once in the history of... everything had this occurred. She glanced down at her hands and noticed the repaired holes in the arms of her suit. _This will allow me to find answers... maybe make something good come of... this... _She clenched her hands tightly and looked up to Shala, "I accept, Admirals. I want... I need... to find that station. To find answers."

"Very well then. Admirals? Cast your votes please." Shala cast her vote, then waited for the other two Admirals to vote. Han abstained from voting, due to his emotional attachment. The measure passed unanimously.

"Measure passed. Congratulations, Lieutenant-Commander Gerrel. You are hereby given command of the Illusion. We'll forgo the usual ceremony in the interest of time, your first assignment is to assist Commander Shepard in his investigation into the deaths of his fellow Spectres. This meeting is adjourned."

Aila stood and looked at Regala, then back to Shala, "Admirals, may I request Regala'Darini vas Adami be assigned to the Illusion."

Shala smiled, "Request approved, Lieutenant-Commander."

Han embraced his daughter tightly, "Are you sure you're ready for this? It's been less than 48 hours since... " his voice trailed off.

Aila smiled and tapped her mask against his, "I'm ready and willing, father. I'm a Gerrel after all."

A Kowloon Class vessel slowly meandered its way towards the Relay, slowly banking around the systems blue-giant. In the cockpit, three Salarian's idly monitored the ships systems. The door slid open and a fourth Salarian stepped into the cockpit, glancing out of the front windows.

One of the crewmembers threw a sarcastic salute, "Spectre on deck, pretend to be busy boys."

"How long until we hit the relay?"

The Salarian that spoke grunted as he sat up, "14 minutes. Why the hurry? I'm certain it'll still be there."

The Spectre shrugged, "Call me paranoid. I don't like being out of subspace, too vulnerable."

The co-pilot scoffed, "Its not like anyone knows you're on board, as far as everyone else is concerned, we're just running a shipment of pipes and pre-fabs to a Terminus colony. Even the Batarian's wouldn't-... "

His thoughts were interrupted as a deep voice echoed over the speakers, "Your salvation is upon you."

A brilliant red light filled the cockpit windows.

A/N: Alright, enough of this sitting in dock, waiting for action for the politicians BS. Starting next chapter, the Illusion will be off and exploring the final frontier! There will also be a few new faces popping up, maybe an old one or two. We'll see what goes down.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Here's a nice, quick little filler chapter to tide y'all over until the next big one. I'm throwing this up since I want to try and squeeze the entire Illium experience into one chapter. Thanks to all commenters, as I've said, criticism is more than welcome. Read and enjoy!

* * *

Quarians swarmed the loading bridge and decks, completing small modifications and stashing supplies in the numerous storage bays. Aila stood on the command deck, directing each box to its final destination. Across from her Regala, now her XO, barked orders in her typical manner, browbeating even the slightest hint of slacking. Aila let her hand trace its way up to the command star resting on her chest. Actual rank insignia had gone out of use with the Flotilla centuries ago, the idea of wasting precious metals just to denote someones rank went against the Flotilla's needs and attitude regarding resources. Her father gave this star to her, he said it dated from before the exile, worn by the very first of the Gerrel clan to be given command of a ship in the Quarian Fleet. Regardless of whether this was true or not, she did know it had been worn for at least 6 generations before her, and was therefore a family heirloom by any definition.

Her radio crackled to life, "Lieutenant Commander? Could you please come to the airlock? Ambassador Tali'Zorah is here along with the crew volunteers."

Aila motioned for Regala to continue directed and triggered her mic, "On my way."

She briskly moved down the long hallway that connected the cockpit and airlock with the main command center, wondering how many had volunteered for an unorthodox and, quite possibly, extremely dangerous mission.

Her heart sank somewhat as she rounded the corner and saw Tali standing with a mere 5 quarians, all of whom had their small possession bags slung over their shoulders. The nearest Quarian, wearing a red and gold colored suit, snapped to attention and saluted, "Marine Lieutenant Kal'Reegor vas Rayya, reporting for duty, Ma'am!"

Aila returned the salute and extended her hand in greeting, "Welcome aboard, Lieutenant. You're a friend of Regala's, right?"

Kal shook the offered hand and nodded, "Indeed I am, Ma'am. Grew up in the same section of the Neema, same training class, even bumped into each other on our pilgrimage. Glad to see you're up and about, Ma'am."

Aila smiled behind her mask, "Thank you Lieutenant. Go ahead and get your equipment on board, Regala will direct you to your station."

Kal saluted smartly and entered the ship. Aila turned to face the other four crew members, one of which was chatting with Tali. Noticing Aila's attention, Tali stepped forward, "Sorry we couldn't get a larger crew, Shepard said he'd be able to augment whatever shortcomings. He wants to meet at Illium once we're clear of the Flotilla."

Aila nodded and moved to meet the remaining crew members, tilting her head as she approached the one Tali had been conversing with. He seemed nervous, twitching slightly and snapping to attention, "Lieutenant Commander! Veetor'Nara vas Rayya. Uh... reporting for duty!"

Aila returned the salute, "Welcome aboard. You seem nervous, are you sure you're ready for this?"

Veetor nodded quickly, "Yes, yes ma'am! I heard how Commander Shepard and Tali'Zorah were brave and defeated the monsters. I wanted to be like them, help protect the fleet like they protected me. Apparently I'm a good pilot, instructor said my eccentric behavior made translates into my flying, making it hard to track me."

Aila shrugged, "Alright, if you're sure you're ready. The cockpit is just to the left, go ahead and get familiar with the controls."

Veetor saluted again and grabbed his bag, quickly darting onto the ship. Aila suppressed a chuckle and moved on to the next crew member, who appeared to be the polar opposite of the neurotic Veetor. She was wearing an exotic looking shawl, her suit a soothing green color with highlights of brown and maroon. She stood in a relaxed manner, feet together and her hands clasped in front of her. Aila was somewhat taken aback when she bowed slightly, "Lieutenant Commander, Carti'Noria vas Torban reporting for duty."

Her voice was deep and soothing, exuding an air of extreme calm. Aila awkwardly returned the bow, eliciting a slight giggle from Carti, "Welcome aboard. In which area are you reporting for duty?"

"I'm a skilled doctor and counselor. My pilgrimage was on the Asari home-world, training with their healers." She calmly replied.

_That explains the demeanor and fancy shawl... _Aila surmised. She told Carti to head to deck 2 and make herself at home in the medical bay. The other two Quarians were more... normal. Tarina'Goti, a skilled mechanic from the Neema, and Ren'Torni, a marine from the Korma. Aila turned and watched them board the vessel, the remaining mechanics making their way off the ship with their tool boxes.

"Seven crew members for a ship meant for thirty..." she shook her head. Tali stood beside her and patted her shoulder, "They only need to get us to Illium, Shepard'll have a good crew ready to join. Probably wont get us to full complement, but at least we'll be able to have shifts."

Aila shrugged, "I hope so." The sound of footsteps caught her attention. Turning, she was greeted by the Flotilla Admirals, led by her father. He stepped forward and hugged her tightly, "I wanted to make sure I saw you off. Keelah se'lai, my dear. I know you'll do the Ancestors proud." He stepped back and lightly tapped the command star, "Just as you've done me."

Aila blinked away a tear and embraced him one more time, before standing back and saluting, "Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema, Lieutenant Commander Aila'Gerrel vas Illusion reports ready. Request permission to depart the Flotilla."

Han returned her salute, "Permission granted, Lieutenant Commander. May the Ancestors guide you and watch over your path. Keelah se'lai."

The assembled Admiral's echoed the blessing as Aila stepped aboard and closed the outer airlock. She turned to see Tali and the entire crew assembled in the hallway, Regala and Veetor in the cockpit. _My crew... _Aila mentally corrected, with a slight smile. Regala saluted smartly, "Ma'am? Ship is locked down and ready to go, just give the word."

"I want to thank you all for volunteering for this mission. Your selflessness does your clan proud. Our first destination will be Illium, there we will meet with Commander Shepard and receive the remainder of our crew. Veetor, disengage from the Rayya and plot a course for the Mass Relay."

"Aye aye, Ma'am!" Veetor jumped into the pilots seat and quickly banked the Illusion away from the Rayya, relaying the approach command's good wishes to the rest of the crew. Aila stood behind Veetor and watched as the Flotilla faded out of sight through the side windows, the Relay steadily growing in size.

Veetor hit the ship-wide communications, "We'll be hitting the Relay in... 1 minute, prepare for transit."

Regala glanced out the side of her helmet at Aila, unable to shake the feeling that something was off. Aila turned and walked towards the command center, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be in my quarters, contact me once we're approaching Illium."

_Her quarters? She never missed a chance to watch a Relay transit. _Regala jumped out of her seat and followed Aila, catching her on the stairs, "Aila! Don't you want to watch the Relay transit?"

Aila continued walking, "It's just a transit, Lieutenant. I've seen dozens of them."

Regala jumped in front of her, "I know that, but you always watch them regardless."

Pushing past her, Aila activated the console on her door, "Now I don't."

Regala's arms dropped to her side, "Aila... whats wrong? You've... changed."

Aila's body tensed and she turned to glare at Regala, "What's wrong? You're really going to ask me that? You're going to ask why I've changed?"

She reached up and in one fluid motion, whipped her helmet off, tossing it into her room and brushing her hair out of her eyes, "Remember this? The whole "experiment" that fixed my immune system? The whole being tortured for the "betterment of the Flotilla" experience that I went through? And you still have to ask?"

Regala stepped backwards and gasped, partially from shock of seeing her remove her helmet... partially from the realization that, even angry, she was beautiful. She stepped forward and gently grabbed her shoulder, "Aila... I'm... I'm sorry. It's just... you've changed so much, it's like you're a different person."

Aila smacked Regala's hand away forcefully, her face twisting into a pained smirk as she raised her arms out to the side, shrugging sarcastically, "You're the one that wanted me to grow up. Now I've grown up."

The door closed. Regala stepped back and leaned against the wall hard, a sighing heavily.

A/N: Like I said, nice and quick. Introduced a few new characters and two old ones. I might not be able to update for awhile, depends on my schedule.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I'm on a roll with these chapters! I feel like I should be doing more productive things with my time, like homework or something silly like that, but bollocks to that! Introducing yet another new crew-member and giving some nice, emotional background on Shepard. Read, enjoy, review. Dooo eeeeet.

* * *

"Illium approach, this is... ah... the Quarian vessel Illusion, requesting a berth...", Veetor tapped the interface and prepped the ship for atmospheric entry.

The crisp, business-like reply came immediately, "Approach approved, dock at berth One-Seven-Alpha, Commander Shepard will meet you there."

Aila walked up behind Veetor's station and watched as the massive city that covered most of the planet steadily grew, the flashing approach lights for the space-port piercing the cityscape. Veetor fluidly banked the Illusion around one of the massive towers, revealing a massive space-port, buzzing with ships of all shapes and origins. As the Illusion approached her designated docking berth, Aila spotted the Normandy, evidently sharing the same loading bridge as they would be.

The ship shuddered imperceptibly as the ports docking clamps latched onto the hull, the indicator on Veetor's panel flashing green.

"Okay... we're docked. Loading bridge is attached and sealed, good to disembark, Lieutenant Commander!" Veetor turned and smiled, obviously relieved that his first outing as a pilot was a success.

"Well done Veetor." Aila turned and opened the inner airlock, checking her pistol habitually. Regala appeared next to her, attaching her assault rifle to her back, "Rest of the ship is reporting no problems."

Tali jogged up and slid into the airlock just before the inner door closed, "Sorry I'm late, I was helping Tarina get used to the drive core."

The airlock's cycle finished and the outer door retracted into the roof, revealing the open outer door of the Normandy across the triangular loading bridge. Aila saw Commander Shepard conversing with an unfamiliar black-haired woman, who nodded sharply in her direction. The Commander turned and smiled, briskly walking over, his companion falling into step behind him. As he approached he spread his arms, "About time you showed up, Ambassador."

Tali giggled and jumped the remaining distance, landing square in his arms and hugging him tightly. Shepard laughed and squeezed her tight before lowering her to the ground, pressing his forehead to her mask, "If that's how you feel after a month, I'd love to see your greeting after a year."

The woman Shepard had been conversing with before cleared her throat politely. Shepard pulled back from Tali with a squeeze and turned to Aila, "I hear congratulations are in order, Lieutenant Commander Gerrel."

Aila inclined her head politely, "Thank you Commander."

Shepard held up his hand, "Actually, it's Captain now. Guess the Alliance figures saving the galaxy twice is worthy of a promotion after all."

Tali's head snapped and she stared at him for a moment, "When did this happen? And more importantly, when were you going to tell me?"

"Three weeks ago, but I wanted to tell you in person."

Tali crossed her arms and huffed, "You've been a Captain for three weeks and didn't tell me?"

Shepard rubbed the back of his neck, "But... I wanted to surprise you..."

Tali turned and huffed louder, "Not good enough. You're in trouble."

Shepard spread his arms and looked dejected. The girl behind him rolled her eyes and stepped forward, "Assuming you two are quite finished, we have the issue of filling out the Illusion's crew manifest to attend to." Her crisp accent struck Aila as haughty and somewhat egotistical, but she shrugged it off.

She strode forward and presented her hand, "Miranda Lawson, Normandy XO."

Aila took her hand and shook it, "A pleasure, Ms Lawson. Lieutenant Commander Aila'Gerrel, this is my XO Regala'Darini."

Miranda nodded sharply at Regala, "Charmed." she brought her data-pad up and tapped it, "Tali tells me you have a total of seven crew members on board at present. Through the Normandy's contacts, we've managed to find ten additional crew members. This will bring your total compliment to 17, still 13 short of ideal, but more than enough to function effectively." Miranda quickly flipped the data-pad over and offered it.

Aila was somewhat overwhelmed by Miranda's barrage of data and the cold, no-nonsense way she delivered it. She took the data-pad and skimmed over it before handing it to Regala who did the same, "A krogan? Interesting choice."

Miranda laughed briefly, "Yes, well, suffice to say Urdnot Jato isn't your typical krogan."

Aila was about to inquire further when the Normandy's airlock cycled again, revealing Dr. Mordin. The doctor briskly walked over, activated his omni-tool, and circled her, scanning and tapping furiously, "Must confirm. Tissue penetrating scans. Yes, yes, evidence of nanotechnology! Immune system near full strength, incredible! Need blood sample for reverse engineering..." Aila shot Shepard a worried glance as the doctor continued to drone on.

Shepard walked over and clapped the doctor on the back, breaking his revelry, "Doc, calm down. She's a patient, not a walking lab experiment."

Mordin blinked, "Yes, yes, of course. Didn't mean to insult. Heard about experiments performed on you, Ms. Gerrel. Methods completely uncalled for, inhumane. Results, however, are revolutionary. Would you consent to donating a blood sample and undergoing a few test." he raised his hands quickly, "Give my word as a doctor, there will be no pain involved. Purely voluntary as well."

Aila shrugged, "I see no reason not to. Regala can handle the new crew as they arrive."

Mordin's smile reached new heights as he practically pushed her to the Normandy, "Excellent! Hurry, no time to waste! Need to get blood-work started, analyze samples, begin reverse engineering. Must set up growth tables, determine resources..."

Mercifully, the outer airlock closed, sparing the remaining platform occupants the rantings of the brilliant scientist.

Miranda checked her omni-tool, "Captain, I have a meeting I need to attend shortly. The new crew has been instructed to report to the Illusion during the next hour. I just informed them that Lieutenant Regala is their point of contact."

Shepard nodded, "Good job, you're free to leave." Miranda smiled and spun, striding towards the elevator with a hint of excitement in her step, Shepard smiled and called after her, "Miranda!", she held the elevator, "Tell Oriana I said hi as well." Regala could've sworn she saw the XO blush as the door closed.

Shepard turned to Tali and motioned towards the Normandy, "I think Ken had some modifications to the drive core he wanted to discuss with you, dear. And I'd like to spend some time with my girlfriend, assuming she isn't still mad at me."

Tali tapped her mouthpiece thoughtfully, "I dunno... it's going to take some work on your part to get this girl happy again. I'll talk to Ken, then we can discuss an appropriate punishment." She giggled and strode towards the airlock as the outer door opened once again.

Shepard shot Regala a mock-worried glance and trotted after her, ducking under the outer door as it began to close.

Regala shifted slightly on the empty loading bridge and reviewed the data-pad once again, checking the time as she did so.

_Who knew being the XO could be this... boring. _She thought, finding a nice container to settle down on.

"The sleeping pods are on deck two, as well as the mess hall. Engineering is on deck three. Lieutenant Reegor is inside, he can direct you further." Regala watched the two humans board the Illusion and checked them off her data-pad. Fifteen down, three to go. She was mildly surprised at the diversity of the pickup crew they were assigned; seven humans, three asari, three turians and salarian had reported in thus far.

"Excuse me, Miss, but is this the Illusion?" Regala turned to the speaker and jumped slightly as she came face-to-face with a krogan. He held up his hands in an apologetic manner, "I didn't mean to startle you."

Regala shook her head slightly and looked at her data-pad, adopting her military attitude, "Urdnot Jato I assume?"

The krogan nodded and bowed slightly, "That is correct. I received a report through Liara T'Soni that Commander Shepard was looking for a crew to staff one of his vessels. It would appear I'm at the correct one."

"Indeed." she made a few notes, "I must admit, I haven't encountered a krogan with your... demeanor before."

Jato smiled and laughed lightly, "Indeed, few have. My mother was asari and I was raised with her here on Illium. She insisted that my krogan heritage was no excuse to be an impolite blaggard. I've found my attitude beneficial in business transactions and interactions in general."

Regala smiled behind her visor, "It says here you're a... doctor? Spent a few years as an Illium law enforcement officer?"

"Correct. I wanted to help people, and I realized that my krogan heritage lent itself to combat. Between that and my medical training, I was a very effective combat medic."

Regala nodded approvingly, "Certainly an asset to any ground team, to be sure. Welcome aboard. The medical bay is on deck two, Dr. Carti'Noria is the chief medical officer. Lieutenant Kal'Reegor is on deck three and the marine squad commander."

He touched his chest in salute and retrieved his bags, lumbering onto the catwalk. Regala shook her head in amusement as she checked him off the list, _It's not even his ship and yet Shepard's legendary ability to attract... interesting team members continues..._

She turned and faced out into the city, framed by the two sweeping wings of the ships on either side of her. The sun was just beginning its descent into nighttime, falling between two of the larger skyscrapers on the horizon. Regala, jumped up onto the wall, letting her feet dangle off the dizzyingly high edge. She sighed and let her mind wander, inevitably coming to the subject of Aila and how... different she is now. _Never thought I'd think this... but I miss the klutzy girl that I met all those months ago. _Regala scoffed in amusement as she remembered the day Aila showed up with one of those ridiculous cat stickers on the rifle. Oh she had torn into the girl something fierce, nearly bringing her to tears. The memory threatened to bring a tear to Regala's eyes... who knew that she'd eventually look back upon that as a fond memory...

She was so engrossed with her thoughts she didn't notice someone sit next to her, "Thinking about something?"

Regala almost fell off the wall as she jumped, her helmet snapping around to stare at Shepard, "C... Captain, I didn't hear you approach, I... uh..."

Shepard laughed and shook his head, "No worries. I'm good at sneaking up on people, its a nice trait to have in my line of work." his expression became more serious, "Let me guess... you're worried about Aila."

Regala's voice failed her for a moment, "I... wh... y-yes... I mean, yes. I was. How'd you...?"

Shepard smiled comfortingly, "My girlfriend is a quarian, remember? I've gotten pretty good at reading your body language."

Regala returned her gaze to the skyline, the sun now appearing to be impaled on a tall tower, "I just... don't know what to do. She's so different. Completely changed from the Aila that joined my squad after her pilgrimage." she looked down at her hands and clenched them, "I feel like I need to do... something. Anything. But I don't know what."

There was a moment of silence, Shepard shifted slightly, "Regala, what do you know about my service record?"

Regala was mildly confused, "You're... the first human Spectre, defeated Sovereign and Saren at the Battle of the Citadel and, most recently, the Collectors through the Omega-4 Relay."

Shepard nodded, "I mean before that, pre-Spectre."

Regala shrugged, "Not much aside from being from an Alliance family and that incident on Akuze..."

Shepard's features saddened slightly, "Akuze... do you know what happened there?"

Regala sensed he was going somewhere with this line of questioning, "Thresher Maw attack, from what I've heard, but that's about it."

Shepard laughed sadly, "Yeah... that's just about the extent of most people's knowledge of that event. A footnote in the history of the great Captain Shepard." he shook his head, "What most people don't know is that Akuze is the reason Captain Shepard is who he is today."

He shifted into a more comfortable position and continued, "The planet had just been targeted for colonization, just a small pioneer team on the surface. Mapping resources, planning settlements, observing weather, all the usual stuff that goes into colonizing a planet. About three months in transmissions just... stopped. Status reports, personal messages, everything. The Alliance wasted no time and sent my team in to investigate, a full unit. Landing was uneventful, and we reached the camp at dusk. The shelters were destroyed, a few large holes dotted the landscape, the bodies of the pioneers were scattered everywhere. The captain called a halt and told us to set up camp in the biosphere, figured the concrete flooring would provide protection from whatever made the holes. Once the camp was set up, he asked for volunteers to take two of the Grizzles and scout the perimeter for survivors or more clues."

Shepard paused and smiled, "I was a headstrong Lieutenant at the time, just out of N7 training and eager to prove myself. My hand was one of the first to shoot up for this patrol, a chance to get some action. I was given command of the patrol and 5 soldiers to perform it with; Corporal O'Neill, Corporal Andres, Private Richter, Private Newcastle and Private Edwards." Shepard's voice choked up slightly as he recited his squad. His hand quickly rubbed his face as he regained his composer, clearing his throat slightly.

"The patrol started out simply enough, we made it to the easternmost quadrant of the valley, didn't see anything worth reporting. We had begun our turn to the north when the Captain came over the radio to say they lost contact with the other Grizzly and that they were experiencing tremors. He advised we return to base as soon as possible. Before he could cut the transmission, however, we heard a terrific crash in the background and an unearthly screech came over the radio. We could hear the captain calling out orders and the sound of gunfire before the feed went out."

Regala's heart was racing as the commander continued his story, "By this time I had already turned back to the village, I was hammering that Grizzly as hard as I could. I heard the Shirt call for an emergency evac... before he to got cut off." Shepard's eyes dampened again, "What happened next... even I'm not positive about. The ground shuddered violently, I felt the truck lurch and lift off the ground. Warning alarms went berserk, and there was the loudest screeching of metal-on-metal. I felt something give and the truck slammed nose-first into the ground, nearly knocking me unconscious."

He took a deep breath, "I unbuckled my harness and turned to help Newcastle with hers. As we exited the Grizzly, we saw it; a giant Thresher, with the back-half of the Grizzly still in its massive mouth. It threw the piece to the ground and spat what looked like... green... something onto it. The acid ate away the exterior almost instantly... I could hear the occupants screaming in agony. Newcastle and I overheated every weapon we had on the thing, didn't even seem to scratch it. I grabbed her and dragged her into a shelter and tried to get someone... anyone... on the comm. The only response I got was from the shuttle, saying they were sixty seconds away and to try and get onto one of the sheds. We both ran to the stairwell, darting to the roof as fast as we could. The shuttle swooped towards the edge and the door slid open... I was convinced we were going to make it."

Shepard brought his hands up and rested his forehead, his voice dropping an octave, "I jumped onto the shuttle and turned to help Newcastle... just as the maws head crashed through the roof. I saw the terror in her eyes as she fell into its mouth, her hands reaching out in desperation. The load-master grabbed my harness to keep me from jumping after her, screaming to the pilot to get out of there. The last thing I remember seeing was the thresher, retreating into its hole, and the devastated growth-lab."

There was silence for a moment, the sound of distant cars cross-crossing the skies providing a constant hum. Shepard let out a heavy sigh, "I found out later that the entire squad was taken out. In the course of 30 minutes, 49 of the best soldiers the Alliance had to offer were wiped out..."

He turned to Regala and forced a slight smile, "You're wondering why I told you this story, aren't you?" Regala simply nodded, he turned his gaze back to the skyline, "After that attack, I thought the universe was nothing but death and heart-break. Every time I closed my eyes I'd see Newcastle's face... hear those soldiers screams and the screeching of the Thresher. I isolated myself from everyone I could, swore I would never get close to anyone... save myself the heartache of loosing a close friend."

His expression lightened slightly, a slight chuckle escaping his lips, "Of course, my mother wouldn't have any of that. She lectured me on the tragedy of losing comrades, and the importance of continuing to fight, regardless of the internal pain. As the years past, I began to recover, never forgetting the events of Akuze, but never letting those events keep me down. That tragedy defined my life, gave me the perspective and drive I needed to survive my encounters with the Collectors and Saren."

Regala tilted her head, "I don't mean to be rude... but what does this have to do with Aila?"

Shepard laughed, "Because I think that encounter with Koris is Aila's Akuze. I think that tragedy is what will define her life, just like Akuze did mine." He fixed Regala with a piercing gaze, his voice walking the fine line between suggestion and order, "Whether or not this experience makes her stronger depends entirely on those around her. On you, not giving up on her and making sure she uses her pain as a tool and not let it control her."

Regala looked at her lap, her fingers intertwining as she processed what the Captain had said. She turned to face him, tilting her head slightly, "But... how do I approach her?"

Shepard shrugged and stood up, "That's something I can't help you with." he smiled and clapped her on the shoulder lightly, "You're a bright young Marine Lieutenant, I'm sure you'll figure something out." He turned to head back to the Normandy, leaving Regala to ponder what he said.

A/N: Hope ya'll like Jato, wanted to have a krogan that wasn't "Raaaargh, kill, dismember, maul!" for a change. Aila'll be getting back to her normal self, don't worry all you Aila lovers.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Another weekend, another chapter. I'm going to try to get a new one up every weekend, barring school projects-from-hell of course. This one has some humor, some emotions, and our Aila drifting back to her normal self. Enjoy!

* * *

Regala stood uncertainly outside Aila's door, tightly gripping the data-pad in her hands, having ventured down here to inform Aila that the entire crew had reported in. However, the discussion she had with Shepard gnawed at the back of her mind. She was conflicted, not knowing if the moral of his story was to simply be there when she needed her, or to confront her and shove her onto the correct path. Regala leaned against the wall and scoffed, _what is wrong with you, girl? You trained with turians! You've got a reputation as being a hard-ass that even Captains listen to! And now you're afraid of one emotional conversation? _She shook her head and stood up straight, reaching forward to activate the chime on the door.

Before she could reach it, the door slid open and Aila almost walked smack into her. They both jumped back slightly, Regala juggling the data-pad slightly to keep a hold of it.

"Oh, sorry Lieutenant, didn't know you were out here."

Regala cleared her throat, "Understandable, they need windows in these doors or something. Anyway, Commander, here is the updated crew manifest. All the new crew members are on board and have reported in to their respective stations."

Aila took the data-pad and nodded, "Good. I was actually coming to ask you for this." As she turned and walked back into her quarters, Regala noticed the mesmerizing way her hair twirled and wrapped around her head, a few strands tangling in the spines that ran along either side of her head. She shook her head and quickly followed Aila into her quarters.

"Commander... uh... Aila. Can we talk?" She silently cursed herself for sounding so uncertain. Aila moved over to her desk, tossing the data-pad onto the corner, and turned to face Regala, crossing her arms and leaning back against the chair.

"Talk? About what?"

Regala could sense Aila knew, or at least suspected, what was about to come. The way she crossed her arms and leaned away from Regala a clear giveaway that she was feeling defensive. "Its about... you. The way you've been acting since... the QwibQwib."

Aila tensed up and her eyes narrowed, "Go on."

Regala masked a sigh, at least she hadn't thrown her out yet, "I can't even begin to understand what you went through, and I'm not trying to. But... as bad as it was, you can't let it control you. Right now the Aila I'm seeing is... well... is one that is putting up a barrier. Acting tough and distant in an attempt to keep from getting close to anyone, to keep from getting hurt by someone you thought you could trust again."

Aila laughed, "What, did the turian's teach you to be a psychiatrist too?"

Regala ignored her jab and continued, "Aila, please just listen to me. The longer you let this go on, the more damaging it'll be."

Aila waved her hands, stepping forward angrily, "Stop right there. The longer I let _this_ go on? What do you mean by _this_? The longer I remember the unending pain? The longer I remember the complete disregard for me as a sentient being? You're right, you have no _fucking_ clue what I went through over there. You say I'm just putting on an act because deep down, I'm some scared little kid?" She laughed and shook her head, "No. This is who I am. I found out that trusting people gets you nothing but pain. No one cares about anyone but themselves. I had to learn this the hard way." Her voice lowered slightly and she looked at the floor, her hair falling in front of her face, "This pain is going to haunt me for the rest of my life... if I'm lucky, this mission... will ensure my suffering doesn't last long."

_**CRACK! **_Aila recoiled and sat on the desk, her hand shooting up to grab her cheek, eyes shooting Regala a look of disbelief. Regala lowered her hand, breathing heavily, "Don't you dare. Don't you fucking dare say anything like that. You're hurting, alright? You feel the entire universe is trying to fuck you, I get that. But you are NOT going to end your life because of what some bosh'tet did to you."

Aila stood and was about to retaliate when she froze. Regala had switched off the opaque setting on her mask, allowing Aila to see her face... and the tears flowing down her cheeks. Regala's voice cracked slightly, "You're spending so much time feeling sorry for yourself, you're oblivious to what you're doing to those around you. I lost everything. My ship. My captain. My squad. And now... now I'm being forced to stand here and watch the only person I have left slowly slip away."

Aila tried to speak, but couldn't. Instead she just slowly moved forward, raising her hands to rest on Regala's shoulders. Regala jumped forward and pulled her into a tight hug, openly crying. Aila buried her face into Regala's head-scarf, "I'm sorry, Reg... I didn't... its just so hard."

Reg pulled back slightly and nodded, "I know it is. And I don't expect you to do it alone, I'm here for you, Aila. And not as your XO or your former commander... as your friend..."

Aila forced herself to smile and rested her forehead against Reg's mask, "Thanks... I mean it."

They stood in silence for a few minutes, each lost in her own thoughts. Aila finally broke the silence, giggling and rubbing her cheek, "Damn Reg, did you really have to hit me so hard?"

Reg shrugged, "I guess not, but you've always been a pain to deal with, so it felt good."

Aila stood back and put her arms on her hips, mock severity in her voice, "So you decided to strike a superior officer simply because she was being difficult?"

Reg grabbed Aila and put her in a headlock, "Nope, I struck my smart-ass little _Sergeant_ because she was being a bosh'tet!"

Aila yelped and wiggled out of her grasp, "Truce! Truce!" she grabbed a white pillow and waved it around.

Reg laughed and nodded in agreement, "But just for the time being. We need to get out there and run a ship." she turned and went to activate the door.

"Fair enough." Aila dropped the pillow and smiled, "Reg?" Regala stopped and turned, "Yes?"

Aila grabbed her helmet and smiled, "Thanks." She quickly slipped it on and adjusted her head-scarf over it.

Regala smiled as she activated the door, "You're welcome."

Veetor's wavering voice came over Aila's comm, "Lieutenant Commander? Uh, Captain Shepard just sent a message, he wants to see you on the Normandy."

Aila shot Regala a quizzical glance, getting a shrug in reply, "Alright, thanks Veetor. Tell him I'm on my way."

Regala rubbed her mask lightly, "I wonder what this is all about?"

"No clue. Guess we'll find out soon enough."

The inner airlock door slid open, revealing a chipper looking redhead with oddly relaxing green eyes. She snapped to attention and saluted, her voice just as cheerful as her face, "Lieutenant Commander Gerrel? Welcome aboard the Normandy. I'm Yeoman Kelly Chambers, the captain wanted me to show you to the briefing room."

Aila returned her salute and motioned for Kelly to lead the way. As they turned to follow her, Regala whispered over Aila's comm, "Felt like you were looking in a human mirror, huh?" She managed to jump to the side just in time to dodge Aila's elbow.

Aila was somewhat awestruck as they entered the CIC. If she thought the Illusion's CIC was large, this one was gigantic. Her eyes were drawn to a massive wire-frame of the ship, with indicators highlighting the latest upgrades and pinpointing future problem areas.

They followed Kelly through the armory and into the briefing room. Shepard turned and smiled, waving Aila forward, "Aila, glad you could make it. Thank you Kelly, that will be all."

Kelly smiled and saluted before spinning on her heel. Shepard tapped a few commands into the center console, replacing the hologram of the Normandy with what looked like a cargo-dock layout. Shepard leaned on the console and began, "Just under an hour ago, a message was sent to the Normandy by an unknown source. The message was brief, but it contained these schematics and evidence of an illegal slaver operation."

Aila tilted her head, "But isn't slavery legal on Illium?"

A blue orb appeared next to the hologram, and Aila recognized the voice as EDI's, "While slavery is legal, Illium's laws are extremely strict with regards to the capture and treatment of slaves. After analyzing the data imbedded in this transmission, I have determined that no fewer than seven slavery laws are being violated by this operation."

Aila stared at the orb for a moment, "Is... is that an AI?"

Shepard rubbed the back of his neck, "Ah, yes. This is EDI. EDI, this is Aila'Gerrel, the Illusion's captain."

"A pleasure to meet you, Captain Gerrel."

Aila was struck by the politeness in EDI's voice, "It's... Lieutenant Commander actually... and a pleasure to meet you too, I guess."

Shepard cleared his throat, "Anyway, now that the introductions are over with, lets get to the point. As EDI mentioned, this operation is illegal, even by Illium's lax standards. We're going to stop it."

Aila and Regala exchanged glances, asking in unison, "We?"

Shepard cleared his throat to hide a laugh, "Yes. 'We'. You two are the senior officers on the Illusion, a ship technically under my command. I want to evaluate your performance in a combat situation. I saw Reegor's abilities on Haestrom, I know he's an ideal choice to lead your ships marines, I want to ensure you two are equally up to the task."

Regala squared her shoulders and brought her chin up a fraction, her voice exuding confidence, "Let's do it, Sir."

Aila giggled slightly, "Let's make it hap'n Cap'n!'

Shepard clapped his hands loudly, a large smile on his face, "Outstanding! Let's go bag some slavers. Head to the armory, Lieutenant Taylor will make sure your weapons and armor are in tip-top shape. Meet in the cargo bay at 2100 hours Normandy time. Dismissed."

Aila and Regala sat across from Shepard, double checking their weapons. Aila smiled to herself as she ran her hands over the new M-5 in her holster, feeling the weight of the M-92 and her trusty old M-8 on her back. Lieutenant Taylor had been extremely helpful, not only finding but fixing and, in most cases, upgrading or completely replacing the two quarian's equipment. Even her beat and bruised M-8, who she refused to part with, got a complete overhaul under his skilled hands. Aila raised her hand and ran it through her hair, still getting goose-bumps every time she did so. Taylor only had enough supplies to upgrade one of their helmets, so Aila had decided to leave hers behind and use a targeting visor similar to Shepard's, much to the shock of everyone on the Normandy. _The looks are never going to get old. It's like I'm a freak of nature. _She giggled at the last thought, _oh... wait..._

Shepard watched the two girls with an obvious air of amusement, "You two look like kids that just got their Christmas gifts early."

Regala gave the captain a confused glance, while Aila shook her head and giggled, turning to look out the window as the lights of the city flashed by the window, "We're quarians, if we're lucky our weapons are freshly salvaged. To get fresh from the factory weapons is unheard of to a Fleet Marine."

Shepard leaned forward and checked his visor as the shuttle began its flair to land, "My soldiers get only the best, with the missions we usually find ourselves on we can't afford to risk equipment malfunction."

The shuttle shuddered as it touched down, door swinging open. Shepard motioned for the two quarians to follow him, stepping down to the platform. The shuttle had touched down outside the cargo-dock, preventing the occupants from detecting its approach. As the shuttle swung away, a solitary figure wearing blue armor stepped out from the darkened shadows of the crates, holding his hands out in a gesture of peace. Aila and Regala instinctively trained their rifles on the new arrival, while Shepard cautiously stepped forward.

The figure stopped and removed his helmet, revealing his blonde hair and beard, "Commander Shepard! I knew you'd respond to my transmission!"

Shepard's shoulders relaxed and he shook his head, waving for Aila and Regala to lower their weapons, "Conrad... it was you that sent the transmission? How did you find out about this? And why are you in Blue Suns armor?"

Conrad nodded energetically, "After you helped with that situation in Eternity, I found out that that cop wasn't really a cop at all. I felt like such an idiot, especially since you found out and hid it from me to keep from hurting my feelings. Then I remembered what you said, about whether or not I had any training. I figured since you were back, I could take the time to learn what I needed to know. So I joined the Blue Suns!"

Shepard was rubbing his nose, smirking with amusement, "Of course you did..."

Conrad looked confused for a moment, but it quickly passed. He leaned forward, comically trying to act like a hardened spacer, "About three months ago, I was asked by my commander to volunteer for a secret mission. Said it was crucial to funding the Suns operation in this system. As soon as I found out what was actually happening, I knew I needed to contact you. I had just finished gathering all the information I could when I heard the Normandy had docked here."

Aila crossed her arms and shot Regala a look. Regala shrugged and twirled her finger next to her ear, eliciting a slight giggle from Aila.

"You did the right thing Conrad. How can we get in there?"

Conrad smiled even wider, if that was possible, and motioned for Shepard to follow him. He pointed to a loader piloted by a turian moving crates through a large cargo door, "Those crates are what the Suns use to smuggle things in. This shipment is full of mundane things, heat sinks and spare parts mostly. But the important thing is that they don't get scanned as they're brought into the dock. You can wear this stolen Suns uniform I managed to grab, your team can hide inside one of those crates. We'll drive it into the dock, then you and your team get to work and clear those bastards out."

Aila jerked her head back slightly, _this idiot actually came up with a pretty good plan. _She could tell by Shepard's body language he was thinking close to the same thing.

He turned to Aila and shrugged slightly, "Okay, lets do it."

"Who knew going on a mission with the great Commander Shepard would involve so much manual labor?" Aila grumbled, bending down to lift another box of heat-sinks out of the crate. Her previously sunny disposition had rapidly eroded as each box was removed.

Regala rolled her eyes and set her box down, glancing up at the turian who had been operating the lift. He was sitting on a crate fiddling with the medi-gel on his head and grumbling, "Just a simple night job. They didn't say anything about idiots hitting me from behind in the dead of night."

Shepard shook his head and resumed his watch near the door, while Conrad rubbed his neck awkwardly, "I'm really sorry about that... I'm still new to close quarters. I thought hitting you with the rifle stock would knock you out."

The turian's mandibles flared in irritation and her pointed an accusing finger at Conrad, his voice rising in anger, "Wait a minute, you're telling me that you hit me with a gun? Why the hell didn't you just point it at me and tell me to get lost?"

Aila threw her box down with a growl of rage, twirling and drawing her Phalanx, pointing it square at the turian's head, "Get lost!" she screamed, "Go! Get the fuck out of here!"

The turian almost fell over himself as he scrambled away. Aila ran he gloved hand through her hair and put her gun back in it's holster, turning back to the crate. Regala shook her head, "You done terrifying the dock workers, or can we get back to emptying the crate?"

Aila rolled her eyes, "Just unload the damn crate..."

With the crate finally empty, Shepard joined them and went over last minute details with Conrad and Aila. They would take the crate in and drop it off as close to the slave pens as they could. Once the coast was clear, Shepard would send a signal to Aila's omni-tool and the two occupants of the crate would jump out, make their way to the slave pens, and hold the room until Illium's finest could show up.

There was a small argument over who would be stuck on the bottom, until Shepard pointed out they could fit side by side. They checked their weapons one more time and crawled into the crate. Aila sighed and tried to get as comfortable as she could as the lid lowered over them, sealing them in darkness. She could feel every move her partner made, and realized too late that Reg's rifle barrel was digging into her back. _This is going to be a long few minutes..._

A/N: Epic battle scene coming right up! I know this whole slaver scenario seems out of place with regards to the rest of the story line, but so were 99% of the UNC missions in ME1. Reviews are still being accepted, as well as suggestions. For the record, I seriously had to resist making a "Is that a rifle, or are you happy to see me" joke at the end there.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Yay, action chapter. These are sadly few and far-between at the moment, but the awesomeness will come faster as the plot thickens. Kind of a shorter chapter, sorry about that, I'll try to make the next one extra long to compensate.

The crate shuddered as it was set down, causing Aila to wince as Reg's barrel dug further into her back. They had only been in the crate for 5 minutes, but it felt like hours. She activated her omni-tool, illuminating the small space, and waited for Shepard's message. Reg shifted slightly, her elbow jabbing Aila's thigh accidentally.

Aila jerked, "Ow, watch it."

"Sorry, it's kind of hard to move in here."

"Shepard'll send the message soon, just don't move until then."

Reg sighed and wiggled again, this time causing her knee to smack Aila's nose. Aila grabbed her nose with one hand, swatting Reg with her other, "Ow! Bosh'tet!"

Regala smacked Aila's hand away, "Stop it! I said I was sorry!"

Aila grabbed Regala's hand and twisted her finger, eliciting a yelp, "You started it!"

The two started fighting, squirming and swatting in the confined spaces. Neither noticed the message being sent by Shepard. The lid of the crate creaked as it opened, Shepard's face appearing overhead. He blinked a few times, then grinned, "I hope you two saved some of that anger for the Suns."

Aila pushed herself off Reg and sat up, getting her breathing under control and brushing her hair out of her face, "We were just having a slight debate over personal space."

Regala sat up against the other side of the crate, adjusting her head-scarf and glaring at Aila, "One would think the commanding officer of a quarain vessel would display more maturity..."

Aila's eyes narrowed and she stuck her tongue out, then vaulted out of the crate and brushed herself off, "I remember back when the great Lieutenant Regala wouldn't let herself get flustered by little ol' me."

Regala stood up quickly, "Hey! I wasn't-..."

"Knock it off!" Shepard stood between them, rubbing his forehead, "Both of you are acting like children. Lets finish this mission, alright? You two can have your cat fight when we get back to the ships."

Regala jumped out of the crate and pulled out her Vindicator, nodding to Shepard, "I couldn't have said it better myself, Sir."

Aila rolled her eyes, muttering as she pulled out her M-92, "Take the visor off, makes it easier to kiss..." She caught Shepard's glare and raised her hands placatingly before turning towards the door where Conrad stood. She made a tsking sound and disconnected the scope from the rifle, tossing it onto a crate and swapping her out her M-8.

As she approached, she noticed the weird look he was giving her, "What?"

"You're really a Quarian? But I thought you needed suits. And why did you take the scope off your rifle?"

Aila blinked and shrugged, "It's a long story, but basically I don't anymore."

Conrad smiled, "That's really cool. You're very pretty."

Aila raised an eyebrow, "Uh... thanks? I guess?" she cleared her throat, "Okay, which way to the pens?"

Conrad motioned down the left corridor, "Down that way. Follow me."

The small team quickly fell into step behind him, Regala bringing up the rear and periodically turning to check behind them. They promptly arrived at a doorway, and Conrad jogged up to the console, tapping the controls quickly, "They're in here. I'll open the door and we can surprise them!"

"We can't just run in there guns blazing, Conrad. Wait!" Shepard tried to grab the overzealous human, but he was too late and Conrad ran through the door. A split second later, a flash-bang went off and Conrad's unconscious form thudded to the floor, followed by a hail of weapon fire whizzing through the doorway.

Aila and Regala dove behind the door-frame, Shepard finding cover behind a support beam. Aila peered out and saw a crate just inside the bay on Regala's side. Regala motioned towards her, indicating that there was one on Aila's side as well. The mercenaries paused firing to reload, and the two quarians moved in unison, sprinting out from cover and sliding into cover behind one of the crates as the fire resumed. Aila switched to her M-92 and popped out of cover briefly, sending a well-placed slug through the head of one of the mercenaries. She ducked back down as her shield fizzled out, having absorbed its share of hits. She glanced across to Regala as her shield regenerated, watching her unleash a salvo from her rifle, the shells carrying the angry red glow of inferno ammunition.

She saw Shepard sprint out and drag Conrad to safety behind the doorway before returning fire, his Revenant throwing an insane amount of ammunition down-range, causing the mercenaries to bunker down behind cover for a moment. All three took advantage of this lull to move forward, Aila and Regala vaulting their crates and sprinting forward to the cover of a metal railing near the conveyer belt, Shepard moving up to the crate previously occupied by Regala.

Aila stood up and her omni-tool flared, sending a brilliant red incineration sphere into the air, she ducked down behind the fence and smiled grimly as she heard the wail of her target. Regala sent a brief burst down-range and the screaming abruptly cut off.

Shepard's voice came over the comm, "There are 7 of them, be careful, they're trying to use the slaves as cover. We're going to have to get in closer to take them out."

Regala gritted her teeth, "Cowards." She stood up and searched for a safe target, dropping back down as her shield zapped out, cursing.

"We need to get closer, it's too risky to engage them from this distance." Shepard commented.

Aila gnawed on her lip and poked her head out of cover, quickly imprinting the battlefield in her mind before dropping back down, "It looks like there is a corridor on the left that could get us behind them."

Shepard darted his head out briefly, nodding Aila's direction, "I see it. Regala and I will keep their heads down."

Aila crawled to the far edge of the railing, nodding to Regala and Shepard. They broke cover simultaneously, the resulting hail of bullets causing the mercenaries to bunker down. Aila sprinted from cover, hurdling a crate and diving into the doorway. She deftly rolled and sprang to her feet, a quick burst of her M8 felling a startled merc. "I made it, got another one too. Keep them focused on you as best you can."

She hefted her rifle and cautiously stalked forward, slowly sweeping the hallway, quietly snaking through the boxes cluttering the narrow space. Slowly moving around the last stack of boxes, she was caught off guard as a merc jumped forward, striking her in the chin and causing her to drop her rifle. She recoiled and lashed out with her powerful legs, nailing him in the chest and causing him to stumble backwards into the crate. Before he could recover, she lunged forward, ensuring he couldn't use his rifle.

The mercenary fell back against the wall again, still recovering from her first attack. He jerked his head forward quickly, his helmet nailing her square in the nose and causing her to briefly see stars. While she was stunned, he spun her around, locking his arm around her neck and trying to wrestle her to the ground.

He laughed in her ear, "Well now, wouldja look at that. A quarian without her pretty helmet. Th' boys'll love takin' turns with you after we finish off your friends."

Aila frantically clawed at his arm, her vision beginning to grow dark around the edges as her brain lost oxygen. The mercenary laughed again as he felt her struggles grow weaker, adjusting his grip so he could crush her neck even further.

His laughter cut off suddenly and Aila faintly heard a cracking noise, followed by his grip going limp. Aila dropped to her knees, coughing and gasping for air, feebly reaching for her rifle. She saw two feet appear in front of her, and a hand reached for her rifle, picking it up and handing it too her. Pulling herself into a kneeling position and taking the rifle, she looked up and was surprised to see a drell standing in front of her, looking slightly worried.

"My apologies for not arriving sooner, I was preoccupied with one of his companions." His gravely voice carried the tone of regret as he extended his hand and smiled slightly. Aila accepted his offer and stood up, rubbing her neck lightly.

"No apologies needed, I'm just glad you showed up when you did." She croaked, shaking her head to clear it. "I'm Aila, by the way."

The drell bowed slightly, "Well met. You may call me Thane."

Aila hefted her rifle and began moving towards the door, "Thane? As in Thane Krios? You were a member of Shepard's team, right? Did he ask you to help with these bosh'tets too?"

Thane fell in step behind her, drawing a slightly battered Predator as he did so, "Shepard is a good friend, yes. However, he did not contact me for this mission. I'm pleasantly surprised he is here, truth be told, but I'm here of my own accord."

Aila toggled her communicator as they took shelter behind the door supports. She could hear the gunfire and faint commands from the mercenaries on the other side, "Shepard. I'm in position and ready to hit their flank. Your friend Thane is here too."

"Thane?" Shepard's voice sounded surprised, but that quickly faded and his Commander tone returned, "Regala and I will draw their attention, when they return fire hit their flank hard."

Aila nodded, "Understood."

The gunfire from the other side of the door changed tempo, the sound of bullets impacting metal crates became the leading sound. After a few seconds, the noises died down, followed quickly the sound of the mercenaries returning fire. Aila nodded at Thane and activated the holo-panel in the center of the door, her M8 ready.

As the door slid open, Aila saw 5 mercenaries exposed to her and Thane. She took a bead on the right-most merc and promptly dropped him while running for cover. Thane slid into cover behind her, having dropped a merc himself with two well-placed shots to the head. The three remaining mercenaries fell back, trying to keep fire on both parties as they did so, she could tell they were getting seriously worried.

Shepard and Regala had moved forward during the distraction, and were now in the midst of the cages, careful to keep the occupants out of the cross-fire. Aila barely supressed a worried yelp as Regala spun to the floor, a rather powerful shot impacting her shoulder and dropping her shields instantly. She stowed her M8 and drew her M92 again, scanning the battlefield for the sniper's location. Regala waved her hand slightly, indicating that her suit wasn't damaged, and Aila let out a relieved sigh closing her eyes and sending a quick prayer to the ancestors.

Another loud shot rang out, taking a chunk of the crate Shepard was behind with it. Aila smiled to herself as she glanced into the rafters, _that's where I'd be... _She spotted a stack of pipes and quickly darted behind them, careful to keep her movements hidden from the vantage point. She dropped to her stomach and very slowly crawled up the stack, peering into the darkness of the rafters, slowly getting her breath under control. The seconds turned into minutes, the sounds of the surrounding battle fading and being replaced by her own heart-beat.

A glint. She adjusted her aim and squeezed the trigger. A turian corpse fell from the darkness and landed on a crate below, fresh blood dripping from where his left eye would have been. Aila smiled ruefully and slid back down the pipes, noticing that the gunfire had ceased.

She slowly stepped out from behind the pipes and smiled slightly, seeing Shepard and Regala approaching two Blue Suns who were on their knees, hands behind their heads. Thane was already releasing the locks on the cages and Aila could hear the sound of approaching sirens.

With the two remaining mercenaries neutralized, Shepard and Regala stowed their weapons, the latter adjusting her head-scarf and letting out a relaxed sigh, "Glad that's over with."

Shepard turned and walked over behind a crate, returning with a M-97 in his hands and shaking his head. He held the rifle up, a wide grin on his face, "Now this is a once in a lifetime shot."

Aila laughed in disbelief and ran her finger over the shattered glass of the rifle's scope, blood-splatter evident on the stock. Regala shook her head, "Through the scope? What are the odds of that happening?"

Shepard shook his head and laughed, bringing up his omni-tool and snapping a picture, "Garrus is going to be green with envy when I show him this."

Aila looked at the turian corpse on the crate and back to the rafters, "I guess I saw the lights glint off the scope. This one." she popped it off and looked at it, nodding, " This one is civilian, the military ones have anti-reflective coatings on them."

Regala took the scope from her and looked it over, still shaking her head in disbelief, "Lucky for us, eh? That bosh'tet got me good."

"Commander Shepard? You have a knack for doing my job for me." The party turned and saw a collection of asari and turians in uniform approaching, a few with medical bags running to the cages.

Shepard moved towards the speaker, extending his hand, "Detective Anaya. I didn't know we were in your jurisdiction, I would've let you in the loop sooner had I known."

Anaya smiled professionally and shook his offered hand, "I would've appreciated it if you had. Regardless, looks like another case of good guys over bad guys." She looked around the room, pausing to stare at the cages and the occupants being released and medically scanned, her features softened, "I can't believe those bastards were running an illegal slaver operation right under my nose. I expected this from Eclipse, never encountered a Blue Suns group running an illegal one, though."

Thane crossed his arms behind his back, "This wasn't a main-stream Blue Suns outfit. As far as I was able to tell, this operation was kept off the books. No one outside of this cell was aware of its existence."

Anaya shook her head, "Thieves amongst thieves. Glad you kept two of them alive, might be able to use this to ensure polite relations with the main Suns organization."

Shepard glanced up as the Normandy's shuttle descended on the loading bay, "I'm assuming you and your people have things under control here?"

Anaya nodded, "Yeah, just standard crime scene fare. Take pictures, clean up bodies, file a few hours worth of paperwork. I'll contact your ship if I have any questions."

Shepard motioned towards his squad and shook Anaya's hand again, "A pleasure as always, detective."

A/N: Aila is kind of a bad-ass when it comes to combat, isn't she? Nailed another sniper without a scope, Garrus'll either be impressed or jealous.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: This is a long 'un, but it introduces a key character/plot device. Read, critique and review!

Aila tossed her weapons onto the desk and flopped down on her bed, letting out a relaxed sigh as her head hit the soft pillow. She rolls onto her back and stares at the room's metal ceiling, feeling the ship shudder slightly as it exits the atmosphere, leaving the opulent planet of Illium behind. Her omni-tool beeps as Veetor updates her ETA counter, showing 2 hours until they arrive in their destination system. Despite the strong desire to spend said two hours in bed, Aila groans and hauls herself off the comfortable sheets, moving over to her desk and activating the terminal.

The flotilla forwarded everything they could find in the QwibQwib's computers regarding the station Koris investigated prior to... she shook her head and pushed those memories out of her mind again, focusing intently on the screen. Their destination was the Larenti system, an extremely unimportant system that bordered the very edge of the galaxy. The system contained three uninhabitable planets and two asteroid belts orbiting a binary star, none of the above containing anything worth mentioning. Aila laughed slightly as she read the reports from explorers and surveyors, indicating that the Larenti system was probably in the running for "most useless collection of rocks in the galaxy".

She finished scrolling through the data sent by the Flotilla, mainly relay vectors and radiological readings, and closed her terminal, rubbing her eyes. Aila heard the door open and turned to see Regala stride in, letting out a slight sigh as she sat in the only other chair in the room, "I must be out of shape, that little adventure with the slavers shouldn't have worn me out like it did."

Aila smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Maybe you're just getting old?"

Regala crossed her arms and leaned back into the chair, "So being four years your senior suddenly makes me ancient?"

Her remark earned a response in the form of that irritating little shrug that Regala found oddly cute, "Didn't say ancient. Just said old."

A exasperated sigh emitted from Reg's external speaker and she shook her head, "Don't we have some important mission we should be focusing on instead of insulting each other?"

Aila shook her head, "We do, but nothing we can do about it now, the data in the QwibQwib's databanks regarding this system and the station they investigated amounted to something along the lines of nothing."

She sensed Regala standing up and moving around the desk, leaning over her shoulder to examine the screen, her head scarf lightly brushing Aila's spines. Aila felt her breathing shorting slightly and clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking, her mind trying to figure out why her body was reacting so. Regala noticed and glanced down at her, "You alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, fine. I... I guess it's just residual stress from the fighting, I'll be fine." Aila smiled, hoping she sounded more convincing to Reg than she did to herself. Reg tilted her helmet imperceptibly and returned to looking at the screen, the muffled exhale from Aila drawing an amused smirk, hidden behind her helmet's visor.

"Well... I had planned on helping you look over this system data, split it 50/50, but... " her voice trailed off and she stood back up.

"So much for that idea. I mean, 50% of nothing is... well... nothing into nothing... carry the nothing..." She ducked as Regala swiped at her, giggling mischievously.

Reg made her way to the door, calling over her shoulder, "Well, since we don't have anything useful to do, I recommend we get some rest before we arrive." she stopped and turned, tilting her head and chuckling, "If I had a bed like that at my disposal, I'd never leave it."

Aila looked at the bed and back to Reg, shrugging, "It's just a bed, albeit a big one."

"That's an understatement, both of us could sleep in it and there would still be more room than a sleeper pod." she paused a moment, her grin increasing further as Aila's eyebrows arched and she looked at the bed, "Aila."

Aila's head spun back her direction. Reg reached over to close the door and chuckled, "You're blushing."

The massive relay pulsed and blue light flared as it caught the incoming vessel, the glowing mass effect field reflecting off the ship's glossy black exterior as it rolled on it's axis and moved towards the asteroid belt, gliding like a bird of prey.

Veetor adjusted a few controls and brought up the LADAR scanner, somewhat nervous at the prospect of navigating an asteroid belt. Regala sat in the seat next to him, calculating the location of their target using the navigational data from the QwibQwib and estimated orbit time for the asteroid in question.

She looked over her shoulder as Aila approached, affixing the targeting visor to her ear as she jogged up, "Alright, I'm here. We there yet?"

Regala tapped her console, sending the location over to Veetor's and stood up, "Almost, I just calculated the station's location, should get us close enough to pick up the metal and non-natural construction. ETA 3 minutes."

"Reegor, Noria, Jato... " Aila looked at her omni-tool, "Gerit and Redin, report to the airlock." She checked the air-lock's decon system and ensured it was up and running as they waited for the requested members to show up.

Once everyone was present, Aila cleared her throat and got everyone's attention by waving her arm, "Okay everyone, here's the situation. We're approaching an unknown station that, we suspect, might contain highly advanced technology. A previous quarian vessel examined the station a few months ago without difficulty, but I'm not taking any chances. Team one will consist of myself, Lieutenant Darini and Gerit." Reg and a turian with bright red facial paint stepped over to Aila, quietly making introductions behind her back, "Lieutenant Reegor will take Jato and Redin. Noria, you're in charge while we're gone."

The doctor bowed respectfully and moved back to the CIC, Reegor and his squad checking their weapons, Jato and Redin affixing their helmets. The ship shuddered slightly as the boarding bridge made contact with the hull, the red light on the door beeping and turning green before sliding open. The teams entered the airlock, waiting as the equalization sequence cycled, the outer door hissing as it slid open.

Aila lifted her rifle, the attached flashlight illuminating the pitch-black interior of the station, and slowly moved forward along the wall, aware of Kal mimicking her movements along the opposite wall.

"I've never seen architecture like this before." Jato murmured, fascination in his tone, "It looks ancient."

Aila had to agree, it looked almost as old as the asteroid itself, but was curiously dust-free and clean. They came upon a junction, Aila glanced down each of the three hallways, brow furrowed in slight confusion.

She glanced over her shoulder, "Well... two teams, three options... anyone have an idea?"

"We could split into teams of two and hit all three of them. I haven't seen the slightest indication of anything remotely living." Kal offered.

"Illusion to ground team." Carti's silky voice pierced the silence. Aila activated her radio, "Ground team, go ahead."

"We have completed our scans of the station. Aside from you and your team, we are not picking up any other life-forms. We are getting a very faint electrical signal, however. We cannot pinpoint the location, but our estimate is that it is 200 feet from your position, bearing 130."

Aila turned and pointed down one of the hallways, checking her directional indicator to be sure. "Okay. Regala and I will check out the signal. Kal, take Redin and investigate the hallway on the right. Jato, Gerit, you two have the one on the left." She pointed down their respective hallways and signaled for them to move out, turning and making her way towards, hopefully, the mystery signal.

They reached the end of the hallway and were greeted by a large metal door. Aila scanned it with her omni-tool, shaking her head slightly, "It doesn't even have enough power to power a light, let alone work the mechanism."

Regala ran her hands over the door, pausing for a moment, "This feels like a handle. Manual override?"

Aila shrugged, "One way to find out." She took up a covering position and nodded to Reg, who pulled the handle forcefully. The door groaned and creaked open a few inches before stopping. Aila stowed her weapon and worked her fingers into the gap, while Reg did the same with the opposite side. They both grunted and managed to force the door open wide enough for them to squeeze through, pausing on the other side to catch their breath. Reg was the first to recover and she surveyed the room; it looked like a server room, although since the ship was alien it could be a bathroom for all she knew. Aila edged closer to what appeared to be a terminal in the center of the room, bringing up her omni-tool and waving it over the dormant projector.

"Hmm, I'm getting some electrical readings, this is definitely what the Illusion was picking up." She kept her omni-tool on, illuminating the console, and reached forward, her fingers hovering over the handful of buttons beneath the projector, "If I had to guess, I'd say these buttons are for operating the system without the holo display active."

Regala reached forward and grabbed Aila's wrist, tilting her head, "Hang on. Remember what happened last time you ran around pushing buttons?"

Aila jerked her hand away and smirked, "We got an extremely advanced ship and the opportunity to help Captain Shepard save the galaxy."

"Fine. Just let me find someplace to hide." Regala scoffed and wandered to the other side of the room, scanning the large data-cores that lined the walls.

Aila examined the buttons more closely, her internal translator unable to find a match for the language visible on the console. She hesitantly reached forward and hovered over the larger of the buttons, taking a deep breath and pressing it. The room immediately began to hum, overhead lights flickering on, and causing Regala to jump back as the machine she was looking at lit up.

"Reegor to the Commander. Everything in the room we're in just lit up, know anything about that?"

Aila toggled her radio, "That was me. Looks like I found the "on" button."

Regala jogged over and looked at the holo display that popped up over the console, "I'd be more excited if we could understand what's on that interface."

She had barely finished speaking when the text flashed off and were replaced by Khelish. Aila and Regala looked at each other, surprise etched on Aila's face and implied by Regala's eyes.

Reg pointed at the interface, "Did you...?"

Aila held up both hands, "Nope."

A loud clank caused both quarian's to whirl towards the door, leveling their weapons. There was silence. A low, strangled groan echoed down the hallway, causing both girls to shudder involuntarily, followed by the sound of heavy footfalls. Aila whirled as the hologram behind her flashed and a humanoid-looking avatar appeared. She blinked and narrowed her eyes, examining the being before her. It had an elongated nose, short professional hair and two... ears?... prominently sticking out of it's head. It looked at her and spoke in a strange language, oddly beautiful, but completely unintelligible, drawing a confused expression from Aila. The avatar paused, blinked a few times, held up a hand and closed it's eyes for a brief moment, then cleared it's throat, "Hello? Can you understand me?"

Regala whirled and looked at Aila in confusion as the avatar spoke in perfect Khelish, it's voice feminine and almost musical. Noticing the quarians' reactions, the avatar smiled, "Excellent. Sorry, I forgot about the language barrier. Listen, you're in danger, you need to take the doorway behind me now."

The girls exchanged confused glances, Aila turned to the avatar and crossed her arms, "Hold on. I'm not going to take advice from some random VI or hologram or whatever. For all I know you're the one threatening us and we'll be running deeper into danger."

The avatar looked exasperated, "I'm not a VI, I'm an AI. And if I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead right now. But I don't, which is why I'm trying to help. You go out the way you came and you will die."

Aila shook her head, "No way. No way in hell am I listening to a damned AI!"

As she finished there was a loud groan behind them, causing Aila to whirl and raise her rifle at the source. A humanoid stood in the narrow gap she and Regala had forced open, it's body black with blue cybernetics covering every inch, it's lifeless blue eyes starting at her and causing her to neck-hair to stand on end. It raised what looked to be a rifle and both quarian's opened fire, quickly bringing it down. No sooner had it fallen, than another one took it's place, firing wildly and causing Aila and Regala to dive into cover, returning fire as they went.

"Commander! This is Reegor, we're running to some unpleasant guests here, orders?"

Aila shouted into her radio, "All teams, return to the Illusion. I repeat, return to the Illusion. Carti, get marines onto that loading ramp, we need to hold it."

Her omni-tool beeped as all teams sent acknowledgment of her order. A few more beasts tried to work their way through the door, each one being cut down by the pair in the room, Aila beginning to relax and grow confident in their ability to escape this predicament.

A loud, unearthly screech caused her to shiver in fear, her head snapping around and meeting the gaze of a large, insectiod looking thing. It was crisscrossed in blue and mechanical parts, same as the others, but it stood a good head taller and wasn't carrying a weapon that she could see. Regala popped out of cover and fired, her shots clanking harmlessly off the armor that covered it's form. The insect turned her direction and opened what could be called it's mouth, a blue glow forming inside. Regala dove backwards just as a blue beam shot out, obliterating the cover she had previously been using, throwing Reg into the center console. She scrambled to her feet as another beam slammed home, throwing her over the console and forcefully into a computer tower on the other side of the room.

"REG!" Aila screamed, watching in horror as she hit the tower and fell limply to the floor, her suit smoking slightly. Aila let out an animalistic scream and vaulted over her cover, charging the insectoid and unloading her entire heat-sink in the process. Her gun hissed and overheated, she threw it aside, yanking out her pistol and firing as fast as she could. The armor piercing shells in her Phalanx seemed to be hurting the creature, which jerked as the bullets hit its form. Aila raised her aim and nailed one of the creature's ungodly blue eyes, causing it to shriek loudly and stumble backwards. She dropped her now overheated pistol and reached for her belt, selecting a grenade and activating it.

As the creature turned her way and prepared to fire, she dropped into a slide, feeling the heat and energy of the beam as it narrowly overshot her. She slid between it's legs and slapped the grenade home, jumping to her feet and running a few steps further away, her omni-tool flaring to life.

She grinned with grim satisfaction, "Deha'ti korna, bosh'tet." She pressed the button and covered her face as the grenade went off, causing the creature to fly across the room in multiple directions and pieces. Aila grabbed her discarded weapons and ran to Regala's form, pausing to unload a few rounds into the creature's severed head.

She dropped to her knees and gently rolled Reg's body over. She gasped and covered her mouth as she saw the damage; cracked face-mask, entire suit scorched and, in many places, burnt all the way through to her flesh. A piece of the computer core had pierced completely through her torso.

The AI's avatar flashed into life, "I closed the door, but it won't hold them forever. Now will you listen?"

Aila closed her eyes and tried to stem the flow of tears, gritting through her teeth, "She is going to die, and all you care about is who was right?"

"I can save her." The avatar stated flatly.

This response caused Aila to whirl and gasp, "You what? How?"

The AI smiled, "I was the one who gave that idiot Zaal'Koris the nanites that are currently in your system, saving her life is only mildly more difficult. But before I do so, I need a promise from you."

The reply was instant, "What?"

"Allow me to transfer to your vessel."

Aila stepped back, "What? No. No way. I'm not having an AI on my ship."

The AI crossed her arms and glared, "You have a decision to make, Commander. Allow an AI onto your ship and save your friend, or refuse and watch her die."

"This is why artificial intelligences are untrustworthy! You would sacrifice someone's life for your own goals!" Aila shouted, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

The AI dropped her arms and narrowed her eyes, "There is far more at stake than one life, Commander. I'm trying to prevent the galaxy from being destroyed and the only way I can do that is by transferring to your ship. If I have to use her, " the avatar pointed at Reg, "life as leverage, I will gladly do so. Do not question my motives, question yours. You're letting your distrust of artificial intelligences to color your judgment."

Aila gnawed on her lip and looked at Reg, wringing her hands. She couldn't possibly allow an AI onto a Flotilla vessel, not after what they did to her kind. Reg's form twitched slightly, her blood beginning to pool beneath her, and Aila's chest ached with despair. A gurney hovered into position next to her body, lowering to the ground to allow her to be loaded with ease.

The AI spoke softly, "Her life is draining out of her, Commander. If you wait too long, I won't be able to save her."

Aila took a deep breath and said a silent prayer to the ancestors, moving to carefully load Reg into the gurney, giving the AI a stern gaze, "Save her. But I swear to the ancestors, if she dies, I will destroy you and this entire asteroid."

A/N: Ooooh, cliffhanger! Aila is quite the combatant, eh? Almost... heroic in her abilities. Until next week!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Wall-o-text time! Weeewt! Grab your popcorn and settle in for another update! Double update weekend, enjoy!

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Aila followed the gurney as it glided along its path, the gentle humming and her footsteps the only noise in the stark gray halls. She was gnawing on her lip and fighting back tears as she saw Reg lying on the formerly white blanket, now stained dark red as her severe wounds continued to bleed. A door on the left opened and the gurney slowed, careful not to shake its occupant as it turned into the doorway. Aila glanced around the room, which was obviously a medical facility of sorts, and followed the platform as it approached a medical station, latching into a pedestal on the floor and beeping once, now an operation table.

The AI's avatar appeared next to Aila, holding what appeared to be a control hologram in its hand, "I need you to remove whats left of her suit." It stated matter-of-factually, causing Aila's heart to skip slightly. The AI looked at her, "Quickly, we don't have much time."

These words spurred Aila into action, she moved closer to Reg and slowly began unhooking her helmet, careful to prevent the glass from fracturing further. She winced as the seals disengaged without a sound, indicating that the suit had lost its internal atmosphere, and lifted the helmet clear slowly, using one hand to gently set Reg's head back onto the table.

Aila wiped a few tears away and cleared her throat, forcing herself to continue removing the remnants of the suit instead of gazing at her best-friends lifeless face. The suit, although horrendously damaged, was still operational enough to make removal easy and Aila finished quickly, mentally thanking the AI for erecting opaque holograms over Regala's body as the suit was removed.

"Now I need you to attach the needle and injector behind you to her neck, near the base of the skull. These will inject the nanites that will heal her."

Aila hesitated a second and looked at the needle, her memories from the QwibQwib flashing through her mind. The AI seemed to notice her hesitation and smiled slightly, "Do not worry. By the time she regains consciousness, the nanites will have finished the extreme reconstruction. She won't feel a thing."

Taking a deep breath, Aila willed her hands to stop shaking long enough to slide the needle into Reg's neck, carefully routing the attached tube such that it didn't put pressure on the needle with her head down. Stepping back, she attached the tube to the injector, feeling the tube pressurize and fill with what looked like a liquid.

She stepped back and wiped her face, quickly putting her commander face back on, "Now what?"

The AI's control hologram disappeared and it crossed its arms behind it's back, "Now we wait. It will take roughly an hour for the initial stage to complete. Once that is finished, we will be able to move her to your ship."

Aila spotted a chair and dragged it over to the bed sitting down with a heavy sigh, "Well then. Since we have so much free time, I think you have some explaining to do, AI." She made sure that last phrase was laced with spite.

She was mildly surprised with the AI shrugged and snapped it's fingers, a chair appearing next to it, and sat down, "I suppose that's the least I could do, seeing as we'll be working together for awhile." It cleared it's throat, "First off, I'm not an AI. Nor am I a living being communicating through a holographic array. I am, for lack of a better term, an organic computer."

Aila fought to keep the surprise from making it to her face, "So... what you're saying is that you're a being with a mechanical body?"

The AI tilted it's head and shrugged, "Sort of, I guess. A better approximation would be that my consciousness was downloaded into a computer and is an operating system of sorts."

"Well, that explains the what, but still not the who."

"By "who" I surmise you wish to know my name and my species. The name given by my species would be... difficult for your tongue to pronounce to say the least. Perhaps you could give me a name your tongue would be more willing to speak?"

Aila thought for a moment, "Evalina"

"Evalina?" the AI seemed to ponder that for a moment, "Any particular reason?"

"In the ancient Quarian religion, Evalina is the goddess of deception and manipulation." Aila's eyes narrowed and she grinned slightly.

The AI smiled and shook it's head slightly, "I suppose I deserve that. Very well, Evalina it is. Now, on to the second half of your question; my kind. I am," she paused a second, "Caturi is the closest approximation I can come up with, we were the dominant species in this galaxy eons ago."

Aila leaned forward slightly, "How long ago, exactly?"

Evalina shrugged slightly, "I can't give an exact date, given the differences between our units of time, but this asteroid has moved 60 degrees around the galactic core since our extinction."

Aila's omni-tool activated on and she did some quick calculations. Her eyes shot open wide and her arm dropped to her lap, "That's... that's almost 38 million years ago!"

The AI nodded, "Yes. As I said, the last of my kind perished eons ago. Since then, I've been here waiting."

"Waiting for what, exactly?"

Evalina looked at Aila, sadness in her eyes, "A chance to fix it. To correct the mistake that doomed my race as well as countless races since then." She paused a brief moment, "To stop what your galaxy now refers to as the Reapers."

Aila's jaw dropped as she stared at the AI in disbelief, "Y... you created them?"

The AI nodded and stood up, pacing around the room, "Yes. We intended for them to be the next stage in our evolution. A chance for our race to live for eternity, without the inherent limitations of an organic body." she sighed, "How wrong we were."

"What happened?"

"Before I can fully answer that, I need to tell you the dire circumstances that lead to our experiments. My race was entering its final stages of existence, our DNA had been corrupted to a point where only one in ten births resulted in a healthy, mentally stable child." She smiled, "Nature, you see, has a natural order of things. A cycle of life and death, in order for one race to be born, another must perish. We were on the verge of extinction, making room for another race to evolve and rule the galaxy. Around this time, the best and brightest my race had to offer gathered in secret and began planning for a "fix", a way to avoid the fate of every species in every galaxy."

She sat down in her chair, shaking her head, "It started innocently. Use our immense technology to merge organic minds with mechanical bodies, the best of both worlds, preserve our species in this way until a solution to the degraded DNA was discovered. But... we realized we could be more. With unlimited life-spans, we could be stewards of the galaxy. Molding and shaping the evolution of more primitive species as we saw fit, promoting the peaceful ones and stunting the violent ones. We wanted to play gods."

"To that end, we didn't make individual avatars. We made ships. Massive dreadnaughts that were all but invincible, able to withstand all but the most powerful surface-based weaponry of our time. Inside, these vessels contained the provisions to sustain a population, allowing us to begin the process of repopulating once the DNA was repaired. We built thousands of these vessels, the last count I heard was 1,132 ships, our entire race was dedicated to the single goal of producing what the general public called "lifeboats" for our species."

She sighed heavily, obviously fighting with emotions, "We hadn't perfected the consciousness transfer process yet, so a rudimentary AI process was installed on each vessel. A caretaker of sorts to maintain the systems until we were ready to occupy them. One of the scientists decided to share our collective enthusiasm with these processes, explain how the vessels they were tasked with taking care of were the key to our races survival." she laughed bitterly, "Idiot. The processes began conversing with themselves, discussing our plans and finding they, as machines, thought were fatal flaws. Things such as sustaining an organic population and finding a way for our consciousnesses to eventually return to organic form. Then they began to hear discussions about controlling the galaxy, rationalizing that they, being logical beings, were far better suited for the job."

"We, of course, had no idea these discussions were happening, and had since began to develop ways of integrating organic components into the ships, allowing them to "heal" wounds and "exercise" systems to make them stronger. Our crown jewel was christened the "Savior of Souls" in your tongue. Twice as large as any of the other vessels, it contained a control room that could coordinate between the ships, functioning as a massive command and control center for the entire fleet."

The pride that flickered into her eyes died quickly, replaced with immense sadness, "I'll never forget the day we realized our mistake. I was in the very base you're sitting now, performing some mundane maintenance on a life support system when we received an urgent call from the home-world. The scientists had been locked out of each and every one of the ships, all contact lost with the teams that were on-board at the time. Moments later, a booming voice sounded over every speaker in the galaxy, it spoke of our salvation, our destiny. It boasted that the ships we had constructed would be the key to eternal life and evolution, ascension even, to something greater. Then it asked that we surrender to its call, become slaves and material for the construction of more ships, saying that in our deaths we would become part of something greater than ourselves."

"Well, as you can imagine, that did not go over well with us at all. We refused, immediately tried to counter-attack. The Reapers, for that is what they were by now, decimated us in the blink of an eye. Our entire fleet was eradicated in the span of an hour, after two our home-world was dust. By the end of the week, every colony in the galaxy was silent." She ran a hand through her hair, "As soon as the transmission from the Reaper finished, the project lead here ordered all external communications cut. We were a top-secret facility, and as such our location was never documented, only passed down verbally to those who needed to know. The reason was because we were tasked with developing the procedure to transfer a consciousness from a living host into the digital one. We continued our work, hoping that by introducing one of our consciousnesses into a Reaper, we could regain control, overwrite the AI that was going berserk."

"We worked for about a year, when one of our vessels limped into the system. They revealed that they were our scheduled supply vessel the day the Reaper's revolted, they had hidden in various systems until the Reaper patrols lessened, then they made their way to our outpost, careful to kill every external communication and keep our location a secret. The news they had was... horrifying." She shook slightly, "Out of a population that numbered in the trillions... we were the only ones left. The twelve Caturi standing in that room were the last of a proud race. They said they witnessed one of the colonies re-purpose a mass relay cannon that they were constructing into a weapon and managed to destroy one of the Reapers, only to be eradicated mere hours later, but as far as they knew it was the lone victory."

There was a moment of silence as Evalina fought back her emotions, Aila tempted to say something to comfort it- _she_, Aila mentally corrected. Eva took a deep breath and continued, "We finished the program later that year, although the moment wasn't nearly as exciting as we had hoped. With our race beyond saving, it was agreed that one of us would be uploaded into the outpost's computer and wait for the opportunity to destroy the Reapers once it presented itself. I was chosen for my intelligence, tactical experience and, as they put it, "loveable personality."" She emphasized the last part by waving her hands sarcastically. "I've been in this station ever since, waiting and watching as countless species rose to greatness, only to be demolished just as violently as we were by the Reapers."

Aila tilted her head, "Why wait until now? Why not stop them with the Protheans or a species before them?"

Eva smiled, "The problem is that in order to defeat a god, you need one hell of an army. The other species, while advanced yes, lacked the... intangibles needed to defeat the Reapers."

The quarian was confused, "And... one of our species do?"

Eva laughed, "Until your kind created the Geth, mine was the only one to create sentient AI species. Until the Geth, the Reapers were the only sentient AI species. And not since my time traveled the stars has there been a race as diverse and unique as humanity. Your three races, backed by the other races of this galaxy, present a unique opportunity. One which, in my mind, is the difference between victory and defeat." She held up three fingers, lowering them as she made a point, "Diversity. The Reapers have grown accustomed to fighting races that are very similar, predictable. Intelligence. While other races have created AI programs, none have created one that achieved sentience and became a race of it's own. Similarity. The Reapers have never encountered or fought a fellow AI race. This, coupled by the fact that your galaxy teamed together and did the impossible, destroyed a Reaper, just a few short years ago, is why now is the time for the galaxy to make it's stand."

"Something has been bugging me." Aila questioned, "If you've been secret for so long, how did the QwibQwib find you?"

Eva shrugged, "I let them."

"Why?"

"Because I needed you."

Aila almost fell of her chair, "Me? What? I don't...what?"

"Specifically, I needed your ship, not you. Illusion, I believe you call her? Since you happened to be the captain, I guess you could say I needed you." Eva cryptically answered.

Aila regained her composure and rubbed her cheek, "Wait, why did you need the Illusion?"

Eva smiled, "When I knew it was time to make my presence known and being fighting against the Reapers, I reached out along your "extra-net". I found references to a top secret Turian-Human project that seemed to fit my needs. The human vessel's design was finalized, but I found out about a Turian one still being constructed. I altered the plans, causing a larger than needed computer core to be installed. After my first attempt to transfer failed, I had to wait for someone to find the Illusion or for another chance to influence a ships construction to surface."

"Your first attempt?" Aila questioned.

Eva saddened slightly, "Yes... during it's maiden cruise, I sent out a bogus distress call, lured it to this station. After making contact with the crew, I attempted to transfer my consciousness to the ship. The crew panicked and managed to jump to FTL. I was able to save myself, however I fear the sudden interruption caused a massive overload, severely damaging the ship."

Aila nodded, "Yeah, that's why we found it. The stealth system turned on and didn't turn off, cooking the crew."

Eva sighed, "Unfortunate. I didn't mean to hurt anyone, for what it's worth. Anyway, once I found out the quarians were going to recover the ship, I sent out another call, luring the QwibQwib to the station. I conversed with Zaal, offered the nanites in exchange for transportation to the ship. He agreed, grabbed his nanites, and left before I could even begin to transfer. I had told him these nanites would only work on the Illusion's captain, a lie, but a well constructed one. Looks like he believed that part, luckily you decided to investigate."

Aila leaned back into her chair and took a deep breath, her mind racing to process what she just heard, "This... is... unbelievable..."

Eva laughed, "You think it's unbelievable for you? Do you know how many times I thought, "You know what? I'm going to download myself into a computer and live for 38 million years so that I can eventually stop the cycle of extinction brought on by a sentient AI race that my people created" as I got out of bed? Not many."

"Wait, not many, so you did think of that at some point?" Aila raised an eyebrow.

Eva shrugged, "Well, in those versions the AI was a wrinkled, evil old person and I was some mystical magic user. And there were laser swords."

Aila blinked a few times before she burst out laughing, tears of amusement squeezing out of her eyes as she clutched her stomach. Eva blinked a few times before she too began laughing. Their reviling was cut short as the console next to Aila beeped, announcing that the nanites had been injected.

"Okay, the hard part is done. Now we can move her to the ship as soon as-..." she froze, her ear twitching slightly, "We need to go. Now." The hardness in her voice caused Aila to jump slightly, rushing over to disconnect the injector from Reg, "What, why?"

"Those husks you encountered were left here by one of the Reaper's agents, he picked up my peculiar energy signature when Koris was here. When you arrived, his minions sent him a message, one which it would appear he heeded. He's 10 minutes from being within firing range." Eva said quickly, her avatar flashing out of existence. Aila heard her voice over the comm, "I'm going to begin downloading into your ship. My mechs will transfer some supplies as well, tell your crew not to panic." The door to the room opened and the gurney moved by itself, Aila following closely behind and talking into her headset, coordinating with the Illusion.

As they reached the loading arm, Aila's omni-tool activated, a blue version of Eva appearing on her holo-projector. She clicked her tongue as she looked herself over, "Seriously? Blue? How cliche. Anyway, the supplies are on-board, as soon as you get your friend on, we need to get out of here."

Aila nodded and grabbed the gurney, dragging it behind her as she ran the remaining distance, slapping the outer airlock door shut as soon as she could. The outer door closed and beeped a seal indicator, a slight shudder almost instantly following as Veetor banked away from the station. The inner door opened and Carti smoothly ran over, scanning Reg with her omni-tool and motioning for Gerit and Jato to get the gurney down to the medical bay. Aila turned and jumped into the seat next to Veetor, Eva's avatar disappearing from her omni-tool and appearing on the unused terminal, "Ten seconds from firing range. We need to get out of here."

Veetor shot a confused glance at Aila, who shook her head and mouthed "later". The ship shuddered violently as the station exploded, sending chunks of the asteroid in all directions. Veetor gasped and frantically threw the Illusion around, dodging the larger chunks and wincing every time a smaller one incinerated on the ship's barriers.

"That self-destruct should distract him," Eva explained, "Now would be a good time to jump while his sensors are still filled with anomalous returns."

Veetor needed no further convincing and activated FTL drive, the cockpit engulfing in the welcome blue glow of FTL drive.

* * *

An ugly black ship weaved through the remnants of the asteroid, scanning the bits and pieces of station as they floated by. The hooded figure wordlessly activated a communications terminal, a vivid red insect-looking creature filling the holodisplay.

"Paramount. The AI escaped on another vessel."

"This is twice you have failed me, Arbiter. Destroy this ship. You will not fail me a third time." The hologram flashed off.

"Yes my lord." Arbiter whispered to the empty channel, banking his ship and entering FTL towards the relay.

* * *

A/N: Yeah. That's right. Our sexy little heroine is cruising the galaxy with a Reaper-creator as her ship's AI. It even seems to share her personality to an extent, a trait that I'm sure Regala will love once she wakes up.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: A little late with this update, I have another side-project that occasionally jumps up and yells "Hey! Write more about me!". This one has less action, more mushy stuff, but the mushy-stuff is needed to set the stage for the dramatic stuff later on. Bear with me and please, for the love of all things cheese, review if ya like it! I really do pay attention to them. In fact, the whole discussion with Eva is in response to a question one of my reviewers posed.

* * *

The room echoed with a heavy sigh, followed by the sound of a chin resting on a metal desk. Aila glanced up at the terminal and shook her head, unable to focus. Ever since Carti had chased her out of the medical-bay, Aila had felt like a caged Vorcha. She had cleaned her weapons twice, re-organized the few possessions in her room and now she was trying to read the databases that Eva brought with her. Nothing could get the memory of Regala on the verge of death out of her mind, she rubbed her eyes harshly, trying for the 50th time to wipe the mental image out of her vision.

_I've seen friends die before, even close friends. Why is this bothering me so much? _She laid her cheek on the desk and sighed again, opening her eyes to stare out the window at the blue hue of FTL travel. She jumped slightly when her door beeped and opened, Doctor Carti smartly walking in with a data-pad tucked under her arm.

"It looks like the Lieutenant will make a full recovery," she stated, noticing the worry that came across the Commander's face as she entered, "She'll have a slight scar from where she was impaled, but aside from that she'll be good as new. Better even, since she will not need her suit either."

Aila let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and leaned back into her seat, running both hands through her hair, silently thanking the ancestors "Thanks doc... I needed to hear that."

Carti nodded and pulled the data-pad out from under her arm, "Also the Admiralty Board, Citadel Council and your father left messages with Veetor."

Aila rolled her eyes. She knew announcing the presence of Eva would be opening a floodgate of criticism, she just didn't expect them to be so quick about it, she held out her hand and counted down on her fingers, "Lemme guess; a condescending "what the fuck", a holier-than-thou "what the fuck" and a very fatherly "what the fuck." Am I close?"

Carti chuckled quietly, "The messages were more wordy, but I believe you encapsulated the underlying theme effectively." She tapped on her data-pad and sent the messages to Aila's terminal, before smartly tucking it back under her arm, "Anything else, Commander?"

"How is Eva settling in?" Aila opened the first of the messages and let out an involuntary grunt of annoyance. Before the doctor could answer, Aila's terminal flashed and Eva appeared on the screen, smiling.

"Quite well, I would say. Your systems are woefully antique, but sufficient for the time being."

Aila rolled her eyes, "I dunno how they did it 37 million years ago, but in today's galaxy it's generally considered improper to insult a ship, especially to her commander's face."

Eva held up her hands, "I didn't mean it as an insult, more an observation. Give me about a week and you'll have a ship that'll be light-years ahead of any other. Oh, on that topic, I'm noticing quite a few places where I could easily tweak the computer and increase the efficiency, mind if I do so?"

"Sure." Aila shook her head and shrugged, "Fine. Just don't break anything."

Eva nodded and closed her eyes. She ship shuddered slightly and the lights flickered, but soon returned to normal.

"I said "don't break anything", Eva. What in Keelah's name was that?" Aila stood up, preparing to contact engineering and get a sit-rep.

"Nothing to worry about, Commander. I had to get creative with diverting the FTL and other systems while I upgraded their primary computers."

Aila sat back down, still warily staring at her screen, "Mind telling me what exactly you accomplished?"

Eva shrugged and pulled a holopad seemingly out of mid air, "Nothing major. Lights are using 2% less power, drive core is 10% more efficient, the barriers and weapons systems are up about 9% and your stealth system got bumped up about 4%. Nothing major, but the best I could do by simply changing how the systems utilize their current hardware. They were already surprisingly efficient, much more than I would've expected given the turian's technological aptitude."

"Over three-hundred years of living on ancient ships that are barely holding together, we quarian's have learned a thing or two about efficiency." Aila smirked.

"So I can see." Eva pushed the holopad aside, causing it to disappear in a flurry of particles, and pulled up another one, ears twitching slightly as she read, "I see your friend is going to make a full recovery. That's wonderful news."

Aila's eyes narrowed, "Yes it is. Granted, the fact that her life was used as leverage sours it ever so slightly."

Eva sighed and looked directly at Aila, "Look, I know you disapprove of me forcing your hand. In truth, I probably would've saved her regardless, but I saw a chance to guarantee access to this ship. I have a very very small window in which I can stop the Reapers, and it was rapidly closing. I had to take desperate measures."

"An AI with a heart, that's surprising." Aila mumbled to herself.

Eva's ears folded flat across her head and she narrowed her eyes in indignation, "I told you before, I'm not an AI. Why do I bother with this avatar or these, " she dangled her holopad between two fingers, "if I was just another AI? It's because they help me keep in touch with my living side, remind me that I'm not just some random computer."

Aila sighed and her features softened, "I'm... sorry Eva. It's just... Reg in the sickbay, the Reaper's bearing down, everything I learned while on the station... not to mention being raised to hate and distrust AI programs my whole life. It's really getting to me I guess."

"Apology accepted... I guess I haven't exactly done anything to endear myself to you either."

"Hey Eva... the nanites in Reg..." Aila paused slightly, wringing her hands, "They... they aren't hurting her, are they?"

Eva shook her head, "At worst, they're causing some mild discomfort, but nothing even approaching what I suspect you went through. The nanites that idiot took with him were what I call "blank slate" nanites."

Aila raised an eyebrow, "Blank slate?"

"Yes. See, the programming for each nanite is, in general, the same. So we produce them in a general form, with the programming that is universal already installed. Then, before we inject them, we program them with data specific to the species we're injecting them into. It's... kind of like a plasma drill. The drill itself is exactly the same, but depending on how you use it, you can cut metal apart or fuse it together." Eva explained, "If a nanite is injected into someone without that specific programming installed, it will still try to perform it's job. They have the ability to learn and teach the other nanites in close proximity. Unfortunately, if they are injected without the final programming, the only way they can learn is through trial-and-error. Very very painful trial-and-error. That's what happened to you, you had thousands of blank-slates injected into you, and they started messing with your DNA, RNA, proteins, acids and whatnot without knowing any specifics about your physiology. Hence the excruciating pain."

Aila shuddered and winced as she vividly remembered the horrid injections, "But... Reg got the proper ones, right?"

Eva nodded quickly, "Yes. Before I injected them into her, I gathered the "learned" data from the nanites that are inside your body, turned it into a program and installed it on the blank-slates. The only discomfort she'll be experiencing is from inter-species differences. That is to say, the unique differences between you and her. These are easily fixed and mistakes are, at worse, about as painful as... I dunno... a mild electric zap."

Aila looked up and realized the doctor had left, then turned back to her screen, "So you're sure she wont be in too much pain, right?"

"Positive. In fact, she should be up and about in a day or two. If my readings are correct." Eva tossed her holopad over her shoulder and it promptly vanished.

The door slid open and a voice spoke, "I have some free advice for you. When dealing with marines, take 24 hours off of the expected recovery time. We hate medical bay beds."

Aila's head snapped up, a smile rapidly crossing her lips, "Reg!" She jumped over the desk and grabbed her friend in a tight embrace, giggling. "Wait, Reg, why is your helmet on? I thought you didn't need it anymore."

Reg grunted slightly as Aila slammed into her midsection and returned the hug, "Old habits die hard, I guess. Glad to see my Commander cares about me."

She blinked as Aila pushed away and adjusted the hood that hung behind her neck, "Well, you're the best XO in the flotilla, I merely wanted to make sure one of the fleet's most valuable assets was still operational."

Regala crossed her arms and smirked, "Is that so?"

"Indeed." Aila raised her nose and stood with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Well then, I'm honored to be considered a valuable asset, Lieutenant Commander Gerrel. If there is nothing else, I need to message my boyfriend and tell him I'm back in action." Regala thumbed over her shoulder and tried hard to keep a straight face.

Aila's eyes opened wide and her arms fell to her sides, the color draining ever so slightly from her face, "You're going to... what?"

Reg bit her lip and fought to keep the amusement out of her voice, "Tell my boy on the Flotilla that I'm okay, he's probably worried."

Despite her efforts to keep it hidden, Aila's disappointment was blindingly obvious, "Oh... I had no idea..." she cleared her throat, "Tell him his... girl... is safe with me, would you?" She turned and pretended to analyze a data-pad, facing away from the door.

The smile on Reg's face faded as she began to wonder if she took it too far. She reached up and silently removed her helmet, setting it on the floor as quietly as she could.

Aila didn't hear the hiss of Reg's helmet depressurizing, she was focusing on keeping her composure. _A boyfriend? Reg? I should be happy for her, I should be jumping around her pestering her with embarrassing questions. Why do I feel like I did when the Adami was destroyed? _She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice the two arms wrap around her waist until they clamped down tightly.

She felt a breeze of warmth as Reg whispered in her ear, "I knew it." She could barely hear the voice over the sound of her heart running at a million miles an hour, "Knew? Knew what?"

Regala shrugged, "That you liked me. And not in a "best friend" kind of way either."

Aila blinked and stared blankly at the holopad, not even pretending to read the words anymore. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to say something meaningful, witty, random... anything. Her voice finally returned after a few seconds. "Really?" _Oh, psssh, yeah, just call me Commander Suave..._

She could feel Regala giggling as her arms squeezed a little tighter, "Indeed. I didn't get to where I am by not being able to read emotions. I adopted the turian's discipline, not their emotional neutrality."

Her grasp loosened and she spun Aila around, smiling and tilting her head, "So? What's the verdict on the helmetless Regala'Darini?"

Aila stared and felt her knees shake slightly, her eyes widening slightly. Reg was, in a word, gorgeous. Her features were more angular than Aila's, her high cheeks and arched eyebrows framing two gorgeously glowing eyes. Even the scar that ran angrily down the left side of her face, nearly dead center of her eye, only served to add to her striking looks. Aila smirked slightly, feeling some of her old cheeky self returning, "Eh, I'm not too crazy about the hairless look."

Regala laughed and lightly swatted Aila's shoulder, "Bosh'tet. I'll have you know my hair will be growing in just fine in the coming week. Doc said the..." she closed her eyes and held a hand up, searching for the words, "Machine bugs were... making the hair... things work faster?"

"Nanites are accelerating your hair follicles?" Aila giggled, running her hand over Reg's head, brushing gently along her head spines and feeling the a little bit of stubble. "I was just joking, by the way. Hair or no hair, you are really pretty."

Reg shuddered slightly at Aila's touch, smiling lightly, "Good to hear. Because I'm not wearing a wig, that's just insulting."

Aila squeaked out from between Reg and the desk, skipping over and opening the drawer under her bed, rustling around in it, "Uhm... what are you up to now?"

"One sec. Gotcha!" She jumped up and spun around, holding a had with 'Illusion' emblazoned above the bill. "Joker gave this to me as a "ship warming" gift. You could wear this until your hair comes in!"

Grabbing the hat, Reg looked it over, "Yeah, Garrus said Joker was always wearing one of these. 'Baseball hat' I think he called it." She fiddled with the elastic back of the hat and slid it on, sticking her tongue out slightly as she tucked her spines flat along her head and under the hat. Aila giggled and made a mental note to somehow get a picture of Reg with her tongue out like that.

"So... hows... this look?" Reg stood up straight, hands clasped behind her back. Aila tapped her chin and pretended to think it over before snapping her fingers, "Oh! No! I got a better idea!" She returned to her drawer and pulled out a second hat, this one black with a brim that circled around the entire hat, the left end pinned up with a simple round silver badge, a red cord wrapped around the part that encased the head, tied off on in the front. Affixed to the front was an emblem that matched the Commander's star Aila wore on her suit. She held it out to Reg, "Try this on. The Councilor gave this one to me, said it's the same hat the female Alliance "Military Training Instructors" wear. Apparently they're like the Recruit Trainers that we have in the marines. He called it a bush hat."

Regala laughed and took the hat, shaking her head, "I see. Give the hard-ass Lieutenant the same hat the hard-ass RTs would wear?" She set the baseball hat down on the desk and repeated the donning process with the MTI hat, fiddling with the black strap that went across the back of her head, pushing the back end up slightly. "How's this?"

Aila giggled and gave two thumbs up, "I love it! It's perfect, very official and authoritative, looks like you're the commander's go-to gal for keeping the crew in line."

Looking in a mirror, Reg adjusted it slightly, settling on having it tilt ever so slightly to the left and nodded once, "I agree. The command star on the top adds to that sentiment." She turned to Aila and smiled, taking the hat off and looking it over, "I'll give it back when my hair comes in."

"Keep it. Consider it a "thanks for being my XO and not dying" gift." Aila giggled slightly, "The flap pin is usually the wearer's ship or unit emblem. Once we figure out what we want the Illusion's to be, I'll mill that boring silver pin into the shape."

Regala set the hat down and pulled Aila into a tight hug, laughing lightly, "Thank you Aila... this means a lot to me..." She smiled, "You... mean a lot to me. I would've hoped it didn't take a near-death experience to make me see that, but I always was the stubborn type."

Aila became slightly flustered again, blushing slightly, "I'm your troublesome little sergeant, you made that clear a long time ago. I mean, we're kind of a dynamic duo of sorts. Sort of like the old huma-" her babbling was cut off as Reg's lips pressed against hers, causing Aila's mind to stop... stutter... then explode with a million different trains of thought at once. _Ohmy ohmy ohmy... this... this shouldn't... __she was, is? No was. She was my commander. She is my XO. The rules about fraternization amongst officers are cle-... Keeeeelah her tongue is long._

Just as quickly as the kiss began, Regala pulled away giving Aila a wink and spinning on her heels, snatching her hat up as she left. She scooped her helmet off the floor and turned to Aila, who had slid down the wall and was sitting on the floor, staring at Reg in shock and disbelief. "Thanks again for the hat, Commander. I will see you when we arrive at the Citadel." With that, the door slid closed.

Aila sat on the floor a moment longer, catching her breath and collecting her thoughts. _Wow. Uhm... okay... get yourself together... you had hoped this would happen, right? Maybe not like this, but this... hey... this is pretty cool. She likes me too. _Aila smiled and laughed, thrusting her fists into the air. _She likes me too! This is. This is. _Her hands dropped to the floor and she stared at the door in confusion, 

_Wait... Citadel?_

_

* * *

_

A/N: D'aww, Aila and Regala are an item now! For those of you confused about the hat Reg is going to be rocking, Google "Slouch Hat"_. _I would blabber on some more, but it's almost midnight were I reside and my bed is calling my name. Loudly. Read, enjoy, and I shall see y'all again soon._  
_


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Short-ish chapter. Busy week. Brain is on strike. Read and review, cya next weekend.

* * *

A loud, deep yawn announced to everyone at the airlock that Aila had arrived. She paused a moment and arched her back, standing on her tip-toes and reaching into the air, stretching with a loud groan, "Mmm... that's better... now that I'm awake, someone wanna tell me why we're at the Citadel?"

Reg had been watching with an amused smirk as Aila did her morning routine, "Evidently the Council wants to talk to you about our new glorified VI."

"I heard that." Eva snapped over the intercom.

Aila groaned and rubbed her forehead, "Great. Just what I need, get shot, see my XO almost die, get strong-armed into having an AI on my ship and now I get to stand in front of-" she shuddered, "politicians...", she stuck her tongue out and made a gagging sound, "and convince them NOT to blow my ship out of existence."

"Never know, they could be calling you in to congratulate you in finding a fascinating source of new technology and the key to defeating the Reapers." Reg deadpanned. Aila rolled her eyes, walking into the airlock and flaying her arms around dramatically, "Yes, and then they'll name me Queen of the Galaxy and we'll all fly on magical Prothean angels to eat sugary gumdrops in Fairy Land."

"I don't like sweet snacks, think they'll have something healthier in Fairy Land commander?" Aila poked her head out and pointed at Veetor, who was smirking behind his helmet after his statement, "No. And you aren't asking Joker for tips on interacting with others anymore."

Reg adjusted her new hat and clicked her tongue, "Do they have to be Prothean? I find Asari angels to be much more attractive."

Aila threw her arms into the air as the airlock opened, "Keelah help me!" As the door clanked open, she heard the distinctive bleep of a stealth field disengaging and managed to let out a sigh before being knocked off her feet by a black, squealing blur, "Allie-kaaaat!"

Reg stared out the open airlock and let out an exasperated sigh, locking eyes with Shepard and getting an amused shrug in return. She turned back to her commander, who was in the process of trying to grab her command star back from a giggling Kasumi, and rubbed her forehead. Aila finally managed to snatch her star away and wiggle out from under her friend, brushing herself off and affixing the start to her uniform again.

"Now that we've got that out of the way." She winked at Kasumi and stepped out of the airlock and saluted Captain Shepard, who was struggling to keep his smirk under control as he returned the salute, "Welcome back to the Citadel, Aila. I hope our welcome party wasn't too damaging."

"No harm done, captain. I survived one of Grunt's charges, remember?" Aila giggled.

Shepard laughed and motioned them to follow, "That you did." His expression hardened slightly as they reached the elevator to C-Sec, "I'm guessing you know the reason I called you here?"

"The all-powerful Citadel Council wishes to pass judgment on my humble ship's AI?" Her commend was heavily laced with sarcasm and a tick of annoyance.

"I won't lie to you, I'm not sure how this is going to turn out. Anderson and I both agree that the AI is far more useful than dangerous, but the rest of the council is rather vehemently anti-AI. Keeping EDI and-" Shepard paused a second, "Keeping EDI required me to pull every Spectre string I could, I'm not sure how they'll feel about letting a non-Spectre run around with an AI, especially while commanding a ship such as the Illusion."

Aila and Reg had exchanged curious glances when Shepard paused, but decided against voicing their questions. Reg cleared her throat, "So what do we do now?"

Shepard shrugged, "Go in front of the Council, present our argument, hope they agree."

Regala's lack of confidence was palpable, "And if they don't?"

"We'll burn that bridge when we get there." Shepard mumbled, stepping out of the elevator and into the bustling C-Sec main lobby. The group was immediately set upon by a half-dozen C-Sec officers, an older turian, obviously the ranking member of the group, stepped up to Shepard and offered his hand.

"Rodan Vestilus, C-Sec Lieutenant. I'm afraid I must not allow you permission to pass until we discuss your friends there." He nodded to Aila and Regala, the latter of whom was lecturing the officer nearest to her on the finer points of proper rifle handling. Shepard smiled as memories from N7 basic flashed through his mind. _She's living up to the hat, I'll give her that._

Aila sighed and swatted a rifle down, stepping up next to the captain, "We're quarians. Yes, I know, we don't have our helmets on, it's a long story that I would love to share over a nice ale sometime, but right now we need to meet with the Council."

Lieutenant Vestilus gave the captain a confused look and activated his omni-tool, quickly scanning Aila and tapping a few commands. "Quarian DNA alright, never thought I'd see the day..." he motioned for the rest of the officers to disperse, and fiddled with his omni-tool for a few seconds, "Alright, I have you entered into the system, you won't get harassed by any C-Sec officers. The civilians might pester you though, a quarian out of her suit isn't exactly a commonplace occurrence. Sorry for the inconvenience."

The small party entered a waiting cab and were whisked to the Citadel Tower, entering the elevator and bracing for the inevitable bad music. As the elevator started its journey, Aila began tapping her foot, bobbing her head side to side in time with the music. She started humming along quietly, raising her hands up over her head and rocking her hips around as she began full-on dancing. Shepard glanced at Regala and pointed at Aila, "What is she doing?" his mouth wordlessly questioned. Regala shrugged and shook her head, an expression of resigned frustration etched on her features.

The elevator jerked to a stop and Aila snapped to attention, adjusting her suit quickly and acting like she had been standing still the entire trip, walking calmly towards the elevated council platform. The four councilors were already there, discussing something with a weary, yet experienced looking human.

"Executor Bailey, C-Sec commander. If he's meeting face-to-face with the Council, something is up." Aila turned to see Garrus and Tali approach the group, the turian standing in front of Aila and crossing his arms across his chest, "Shepard had a rather fascinating holo from your last field trip. He said you nailed the bastard without a scope. I've never called Shepard a liar, but I think I need to see that kind of accuracy for myself."

Aila shrugged and pointed to the council, "20 credits says I can hit the dais in front of the Executor."

"I doubt taking shots in the direction of the council would be taken lightly by the guards in here." Garrus chuckled, "Besides, from this distance I could hit that with a Scimitar."

Any response was cut off by Anderson's voice, "Shepard. Glad you're here." he motioned for the party to approach the dais, "Captain, I hate to drag you into this, but we have a situation that C-Sec is ill prepared to deal with."

Shepard glanced at Bailey, who nodded approvingly, and turned back to the council, slipping easily into his no-nonsense Spectre mood, "What's the situation, Councilor?"

The turian councilor brought up a picture of a slightly heavy-set balding man on the dais, "A human scientist disappeared two days ago. He was part of a team who recovered an artifact that, according to initial reports, pre-dates even the Protheans. It's assumed it belongs to the race that dominated the galaxy before the Prothean cycle."

He tapped his command console and a heavily distorted video began looping, showing the scientist being wrestled into a waiting car, "This was the last time Dr. Wilhelm was seen, the security in the area was being jammed, this camera was just on the edge of the jammer's range."

A building schematic appeared on the dais, "Using the data from the video and other sources, we've been able to isolate the doctor's location, an office building on the lower levels of the Zakera Ward. That's where things get difficult. The building is owned and operated by New Age Travels, a known Cerberus front company."

Anderson nodded and continued, "C-Sec is used to dealing with criminals, not a well-organized military organization. You have unique insight on Cerberus' operations and training, your team is ideally suited for mounting a rescue operation."

"My boys have eyes on the blocks surrounding the building, but we don't want to be getting too close and tipping the baddies off." Bailey held up a hand slightly, as if anticipating Shepard's question, "Backup will be locked-and-loaded should you get into a pickle. I hear the vents have some new toys they've been itching to try out."

Shepard looked at Tali and Garrus, who nodded and quickly left, Tali working on her omni-tool and Garrus calling the Normandy. He turned back to the councilors, "We'll have the doctor out in no time. If you'll excuse us councilors." Spinning on his heel, Shepard briskly walked back to the elevator.

Aila and Regala hesitated for a moment and looked at each other uncertainly before jogging to catch up, Aila tapping Shepard's shoulder lightly, "So... are we waiting at the ship? Coming with you? What's the plan?"

Entering the elevator, Shepard tapped his omni-tool and sent the building information to Aila's, "We're closer to the building than the Normandy. I need to get my armor and the rest of my weapons anyway, I want you two to head to the building and size it up. Enterances, exits, number of guards and level of security if you can. Just don't get spotted."

Aila forwarded the data to Regala and saluted Shepard, "Will do."

A black and gold helmet plopped onto the floor, followed closely by it's owner. Almost immediately a cigarette appeared in his hand, already lit. Taking a deep drag, he turned, handing it to his female counterpart who had sat down next to him. Regala's lips curled into a smile, "One... aaand... two" she muttered, lifting her rifle slightly, mimicking recoil with each 'shot'. She made a quick note with her omni-tool and resumed sweeping the building from her vantage point across the street. Either most of the security were inside, or Cerberus never considered the possibility of this building being found, as she had only spotted four guards.

"I think I had more security on my holo-diary when I was five." Reg snickered slightly and shook her head at Aila's glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Aila lying on her stomach, tapping away merrily on her omni-tool, legs bent upward at the knee and kicking back and forth slowly, "I'm picking up... a SecuriStruct system, not bad, but not great either. I could bring it down in my sleep." She made a few more inputs and paused, "Hmm? What's this? I'm getting a large energy reading from a room on the third floor. Something big is in there, and it needs a lot of power. 40% of the building's power draw is going into this one room."

"Mech charging station?" Reg returned to her survey.

"No... I found that one, it's on the first floor. I'd guess they have 5 maybe 6 Loki's tops. This is something bigger, and it's not constant like a charging station would be, it's drawing power like a large computer would." She slipped her omni-tool off and began tapping away with both hands, her eyes squinting in concentration, "Well, this security is much better. It's a computer, that much is certain, but I can't get in and figure out what it's computing."

"Well, there are four bad guys that I can see. Probably have another team or two inside." Reg stowed her rifle and sat against the wall next to Aila, who had pulled herself into a sitting position after re-affixing her omni-tool. "Guessing... eight people inside, plus whatever civilians are working the night shift. Add that to the mechs and we're looking at 12 to 13 people ready to make life difficult, give or take."

Aila juggled two heat-sinks and hummed to herself, "So... walk in the park for us and Shepard's team, right?"

"How do you do that?" Reg asked, shaking her head slightly.

Aila finished juggling with a flourish and stowed the sinks, "It's easy, you just have to polish your hand-eye coordination." She waved her hands around mystically and squinted.

Reg laughed and swatted her hands down lightly, "I mean... recover so quickly. Emotionally. In the year I've known you, you've jumped from happy to depressed to happy to..." she paused a second, "Suicidal... and now you're just as happy and chipper as ever. Happier even."

"Well... having a naturally cheery and borderline psychosis helps." She answered, smirking merrily.

"Ugh." Reg rolled her eyes, pulling her hat down over her eyes and groaning, "Forget I asked..."

Aila scooted closer and grabbed Reg's arm, pulling around her shoulders and leaning into her, "Truth be told, the reason I recover so quickly is because I'm surrounded by people who won't let me wallow in my bout of self pity and loathing. My father and Captain Velzi were always there with sage fatherly advice, my co-workers would joke and tease like nothing happened and force me to laugh." She elbowed Reg lightly, causing her to jump slightly and giggle, "And you would just plain order me to quit my whining and get my ass back to work."

Reg laughed and tugged on Aila's shoulder lightly, removing her hat and setting it next to her, "Can you blame me? You tittered around like a teenager yet to go on her pilgrimage, and I was expected to give you a gun? I was hard on you as much for my own sanity as for your benefit." She ran her hand through Aila's hair and smiled as the contact drew a blush out of the younger girl.

They sat in silence for a moment, Aila's omni-tool beeping gently, "They left the Normandy, should be here in a few minutes." She deactivated her omni-tool and there was silence again.

Aila suddenly shifted until she was sitting directly in front of her, hands lightly resting on her shoulders, "Reg... the other day... in my quarters, after I gave you the hat as a gift." Now it was Regala's turn to color slightly, "Was that a spur of the moment, glad to be alive moment? Or was it something more?"

Regala blinked for a moment as she struggled to find the proper way to admit that, yes, she did indeed mean every second of that kiss. She smiled warmly, bringing her hands up to gently cup the girl's cheeks, "Have I ever, in the year we've known each other, done anything on the spur of the moment?"

"No. No you haven't." Aila admitted, leaning in a little closer and resting her forehead on Reg's, sighing contentedly, "I love you too... I think I have for awhile, actually. But you were my commanding officer and then I was your commanding officer and then there was the whole 'help Captain Shepard save the galaxy' thing. I just... I didn't know how or when to-"

Reg's finger pressed gently into her lip and she smiled, brushing a hair out of the girl's face and behind her ear, giggling softly as it stubbornly fell back to where it was. They stared at each other silently, each one with her own thoughts, both lost in each others eyes. They hardly noticed their faces slowly inching closer, lips parting ever so slightly.

"Ahem... as... romantic as a rooftop in the wards is, I think this is best suited for a more... private venue." Aila let out a sigh and rested her forehead on Reg's shoulder, who was in the process of shooting eye-daggers at a smirking Garrus. He hefted his rifle and walked to the ledge, peeking over the wall at the target building, "Shepard wants Regala and I to provide sniper cover from up here. Once they're inside, Aila will be the team's sniper support unless we have a shot. They're waiting on the ground floor, better hurry."

"Ooooh, I get to get up close and personal! Sounds like fun!" She turned to Reg and pecked her on the lips quickly, "Just... hold onto that thought for another hour or two." A cheeky wave and she was gone, disappearing down the stairwell in a blur. Reg rubbed her face with both hands, picking her hat up and slowly crawled over to Garrus, removing her rifle and getting comfortable, "You couldn't have waited 5 minutes, could you?"

Garrus shrugged, "I could've... but the recording function on my omni-tool hasn't worked for the past few weeks, so I had no reason to."

"You're a real charmer, Vakarian."

"It's hard work, but someone has to do it."

* * *

A/N: The "vents" Bailey is referring to are the Violent Engagement and Neutrilization Team, or VENT for short. C-Sec's version of the SWAT team. Why is Bailey the Executor? See: "Mass Effect: Retribution". If you've read it already and are complaining about Anderson still being the councilor, see: "I hate Udina". Ta ta for now.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: So this chapter kinda went a direction I didn't expect. Oh well, we'll roll with it and see where it goes. I had a reviewer say they had a hard time picturing Regala with a hat on her helmet. She doesn't wear helmets anymore either, that happened... chapter 17 I think. It would be pretty funny to see a quarian helmet with a slouch hat, I'll admit.

* * *

Even if you were looking for them, Shepard's team, consisting of Aila, Ashley and Grunt would've been next to impossible to spot as they slid across the pathway and melted into the side of the building. A moment later, the Kodiak shuttle swooped quietly overhead and, without noticeably slowing, dropped Miranda, Zaeed, Thane and Jacob into the roof. Hopefully the guards inside would think it was just some hot-shot showing off for his girlfriend.

Miranda's professional voice calmly sounded over the comm, "We're in position."

"Shepard, it's Garrus. Reg here informed me there is a second ground-floor door behind the building. Might want to send a team there."

"Shepard, it's Reegor. We've got the back side of this building locked down, waiting on your signal."

Shepard gave Aila a confused look, getting the same in return as she touched her radio, "Kal? I thought I left you on the Illusion, what are you doing here?"

A slight laugh, "You managed to keep me away from the action once already, I'm not letting that happen again. Jato is with me, along with two C-Sec VEST agents who were itching for some up close action. XO told me to secure the back door."

Aila shrugged towards Shepard, "Having three teams will just confuse the Cerberus folks that much more, and Reegor is one of the best marines in the Flotilla."

"Reegor, it's Shepard. Prepare to enter on my mark." He brought his omni-tool up and deftly bypassed the door lock, "Three. Two. One. Mark." He activated the door, quickly sliding in with Aila hot on his heels. Ashley and Grunt smoothly swept the right half of the room, Ashley ducking into a side office, "Clear."

"Room clear." Shepard brought his omni-tool up, "Aila, can you get us into their security?"

"Give me a second." Aila jumped over a desk and tapped away on the console, occasionally entering a few commands on her omni-tool. She hit her radio, "All teams, set your omni-tools to receive on 215-Theta."

Shepard adjusted his omni-tool and nodded as the building's schematic appeared on the screen, gold dots appearing in the hallways, red dots on the top floor and just inside the doors. Aila continued, "Gold is bad, red is us. The Cerberus lackeys will be getting a slightly altered version, minus the red dots."

"Skipper, we have a grouping of baddies in a room down this hall to the left. Probably be easiest to draw them out and make them come to us, these hallways have no cover what so ever." Ashley thumbed over her shoulder to a door behind her.

"On it!" Before Shepard could say anything, Aila was darting through the door and quietly running up the hallway.

Ashley grinned towards Shepard as she took up position against the door-frame, "I like this girl."

Aila glanced over her shoulder and waited for a nod from Shepard, who had just upended a thick metal desk and taken cover behind it. She flicked the door open and jumped in, glancing around at the dozen or so mercenaries in various stages of enjoying their meal. She ran over to the nearest one and threw her arm around him, whispering into his ear, "They call that food? That's pathetic. You should show that cook what you think of it. Like so!" She grabbed the plate and heaved it across the room and into a bewildered cook's face. She jumped to her feet, poked her fingers into the corner of her mouth and whistled loudly, "Hey! Guard types!" She waved her arms around, "Lookie, lookie, I'm not supposed to be here! Stop me!" Her rifle came up quickly and she swept the room with a barrage of fire, causing everyone to duck and scramble for cover. "Nyah!" She stuck her tongue out and sprinted back towards the front room, angry shouts following her exit.

Somewhat gracelessly throwing herself over the desk Shepard was sheltering behind, Aila narrowly avoided a barrage of gunfire that was hot on her heels, grinning at Shepard like kid who got caught in the cookie-jar, "Woo! That was refreshing. They don't like it when you shoot at them. I figured that out on my own."

She popped out of cover just long enough to cut a mercenary down with a well-aimed burst of fire. Shepard laughed and dropped one as well, Ashley peeked around the door-frame, waited for a brief moment, and jumped out with her Scimitar, obliterating a mercenary's face with the following blast. Aila tapped on her omni-tool and locked the door to the mess-hall behind the last mercenary.

"Grunt! They're all stuck in the hallway!"

Grunt let out a bone-chilling laugh and jumped into the doorway, his massive shotgun all but vaporizing a startled mercenary's chest, "I! Am! KROGAN!" He lunged forward and the door closed behind him.

Ashley stepped back from the door, wincing at the ungodly sounds coming from the other side of the door, giving Shepard a disbelieving look, "Damn! And I thought Wrex had anger issues."

The sounds suddenly stopped and the room became silent. The silence was broken as the door beeped and opened, Grunt stepping through the doorway and brushing a dismembered hand off his shoulder, "Weak. All of them"

Aila peeked past him and her eyes opened wide, her cheeks turning an unhealthy color, "Kee-" She covered her mouth and willed her dinner to stay were it was, "Ugh...yeah... I vote we take the other hallway..."

Ashley and Shepard braved quick glances and emphatically agreed, closing and locking the door behind them. Grunt seemed distracted as his tongue fished around in his mouth, he made a surprised sound and spat a finger out onto the floor.

The color drained out of Aila's face. "Oh Keelah..." she managed to squeak, throwing her head over a desk and losing the battle with her stomach.

* * *

"You alright?" Ashley tapped Aila's shoulder as they moved up the stairs, noticing the color hadn't completely returned to the quarian's features.

Aila laughed slightly, "I'm probably going to have nightmares for the next few days, but other than that I'm peachy." She looked at her omni-tool and pointed to the door at the end of the hallway as they emerged from the stairwell, "The massive energy draw is coming from that room."

Shepard nodded, "Alright, get that door open, we'll cover you." Ashley moved to cover the hall that went off to the right, Shepard guarding the left. Grunt stood in the center, ready to assist either one.

Aila quickly jogged to the door and brought her omni-tool up to begin the bypass and almost jumped out of her boots when the door opened. Both Aila and the technician that opened the door stared at each other for a second, Aila making the first move and whipping her Phalanx out of its holster. The tech jumped behind cover and drew his pistol, shooting blindly over the desk, Aila returning fire and jumping behind the doorway. The tech made a break for the other door, skidding to a halt as one of Aila's shots hit the ground in front of him. He turned to face her, holding his pistol up next to his head and staring down her barrel. The tech braced himself as she aimed for his leg and pulled the trigger... a useless click sounding instead of a shot. They both looked at the gun, Aila squeezing the trigger again in disbelief.

The tech laughed and brought his gun to bear, "Should've counted your shots lady. Now that gun is useless." His laughter was abruptly cut off as the Phalanx slammed into his forehead, knocking him senseless. Aila threw her hands into the air and leaned back, "Wooo! Score one for the quarian! The crowd goes wild!"

Ashley skidded to a halt, her rifle raised, followed closely by Shepard, "We heard shots, everything alright in here?"

Aila thumbed over her shoulder to the senseless tech behind her, "Well... he's not."

"Shit. He's going to be feeling that for a few days..." Ashley dragged the tech into a sitting position and quickly bound his hands behind his back, picking up Aila's pistol and tossing it back to her.

Aila glanced her gun over and tenderly fished the jammed heat-sink out of the chamber, blowing on her fingers as it popped out and glowed on the floor, "Figures, the first time a weapon ever jams on me is when I'm alone with an armed bad guy."

"Of course. Private Murphy wouldn't have it any other way." Shepard remarked, having cleared the rest of the room.

Aila surveyed the room, bringing her omni-tool up and arching her eyebrows, "Yep, this is the energy sink. There's enough power in this room to power the Kodiak. Looks like some gigantic computer that's doing some serious calculations, and I mean serious."

"Skipper! Over here!" Ashley popped her head out from behind a pillar, waving Shepard over. "Found our scientist." As Aila rounded the corner she saw the doctor lying on a bed, his hands clasped on his chest and various wires running from his head and body to the computer behind him.

She waved her omni-tool over his form slowly, analyzing the read-out, "He's alive. Looks like he's in an extremely deep sleep, borderline comatose actually."

Shepard turned as Miranda and her team entered the room, "Reegor and his team have the exterior corridor locked down, although the building seems clear." She glanced around the room, lifting an access panel open and tilting her head to read the manufacturers spec sheet printed on the back, "These are state of the art. And expensive. Even the Alliance couldn't justify the cost behind a computing center like this." She let the panel snap closed and brushed her hands together, "It would seem we've stumbled upon one of the Illusive Man's pet projects."

The technician groaned and stirred, trying to blink away the pain from his forehead and utterly failing at it. "What... who are you people? Do you know what you've done? Cerberus won't-"

"We're already on Cerberus' hit list." Jacob cut him off, smirking slightly, "Digging that hole a little deeper isn't exactly a concern."

"If you say so. So what do you want to know?" The tech shifted slightly, trying to find some semblance of comfort.

Miranda crossed her arms and leaned back slightly, "You seem awfully willing to part with information."

The tech shrugged, "I get paid to run the systems. Not to fight and be interrogated by... whatever you are." He glanced around the room and shrugged, "I can tell you the what and the how. Damned if I know the why though."

Miranda pursed her lips and pulled up a chair, sitting down and crossing her legs professionally, "Good enough for now. Start talking."

"That guy over there." He jabbed his head towards the doctor, "He knows the location of something the boss wants. Said it was an extremely valuable artifact or something like that, didn't exactly elaborate. That's the what. The how is a little more complicated." He looked at Miranda, "You heard of the 'Lazarus Project'?"

Miranda laughed slightly and pointed to Shepard, "The project that brought him back to life? I do. Quite intimately. in fact."

The tech's eyes opened wide, "Miranda Lawson... should've known it was you. Only Commander Shepard's team would have the balls or ability to push over a project like this. But back to my story," He cleared his throat and winced slightly as his darkening forehead pulsed, "the boss had a few teams continue the various avenues of research you pioneered with your little pet project. My team got handed the mental imprinting and reconstruction stuff. He wanted us to look for ways to counter the indoctrination ability of the Reapers."

"About a month ago, we had a breakthrough of sorts. We were able to observe and, very limited granted, influence a sleepers dreams. Then this doctor discovers something revolutionary and the boss wants it. He decides to hand the doctor to us, says if our system finds the artifact's location before his traditional methods do, we'll be swimming in credits and prestige."

Aila brought up a terminal and saw a tan, sandy looking landscape with equally tan, sandy looking buildings making up a rather large city, "So... this is his dream?"

The tech nodded, "We can only enter and observe a dream if it is one the sleeper has a particular interest in. The key is to induce a heavy REM cycle, otherwise the system will wake the patient up. Turns out the doctor was rather fond of Earth's Middle Ages, specifically the Crusades and a war between two specific organizations. The problem is that we can't put him in a situation where he has to go directly to the object, we can only make very very small adjustments here and there."

Ashley sighed heavily, "As fascinating as this is, can we just grab the bald guy and the lackey and get out of here before the rest of Cerberus realizes what's up?"

"No!" The tech said forcefully, "If you try to wake him up he'll die. The only way he can leave the dream and live is if he chooses to end it."

"He has to choose to end it?" Aila looked mildly confused and sat down on a bed similar to the one the doctor was lying on, poking the various wires that were organized near the head.

"Yes. He has to realize it is a dream and choose to wake up."

"Wonderful!" Ashley threw her arms up, "So how are we going to get him out of there?"

Aila shrugged, "Send someone into the same dream with this bed and tell him to wake the hell up?"

The tech shook his head, "That wouldn't work. Once you enter the dream, you will be convinced you are the... character your dream chooses. You'll have no knowledge or memories from your real life."

"Hmmm." She jumped off the table and paced, pausing to bring her omni-tool up, "Hey Eva, you there?"

"As always."

"I'm assuming you've looked over the computer here and heard our predicament. Any suggestions?"

"You can go in." Everyone turned to her omni-tool with varying looks of surprise, most surprised being Aila, "Wait... me? Didn't you hear him? I won't be... me in there. This system is probably made for humans anyway, so it probably wont work for me."

"You're right, it won't work for a quarian and a quarian wouldn't be herself even if it did. But you aren't a typical quarian, remember?"

"Enough word games, Eva. You're referring to the nanites, right?"

"Precisely." Eva cheerfully responded, "The nanites would ensure the system could interface with you seamlessly, and they would also make it easier for us to manipulate your end of the dream. If we can get enough familiar objects into your dream, we can cause you to "remember" who you are. Then it's just a matter of you convincing the doctor of who he is."

Aila nibbled her lip slightly looking at Shepard, who laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Your call. I won't tell you to do anything, but I won't stop you either."

"Fine. Whatever." She shook her head, throwing her arms up in defeat, "Not like my year has been remotely near the realm of normal anyway, so why not throw some dream exploration into the mix?"

Shepard shrugged slightly, "I got imprinted with the memories of an entire species, died, came back to life and survived a guaranteed suicide mission. Trust me when I say "I know how you feel". Because I really do."

Aila pointed at him as she sat down on the bed, "Yeah. You still win with that whole... death and resurrection thing." She laid down and snuggled into the surprisingly comfortable surface before opening an eye, "So... now what?"

Miranda began affixing various wires to her head while Tali entered commands into a nearby console, both being coached by the technician. Finishing the wires, Miranda opened a drawer and pulled out a syringe, scanning it with her omni-tool and pushing the remaining air out of the tip. Aila shuddered involuntarily and closed her eyes, "Keelah I hate needles. Don't even warn me, just jab it in and get it over with." She gritted her teeth and braced herself.

"Aila." Miranda chuckled, "Already did it."

She opened her eyes and saw Miranda holding the empty syringe, smiling slightly. "Wow... you're good." She looked down at her arm, trying to find the pin-prick mark on her purple skin, "So how... long..." her voice trailed off as she slipped unconscious.

* * *

You let her do WHAT?" Shepard winced slightly as Reg's voice reached new levels.

"It was the only way-" Miranda's voice faltered slightly under the glare she got from the shorter quarian.

Reg's fists flexed at her sides, nostrils flaring as she fought to keep her temper under control, her voice dropping into a low growl, "You let her enter a state that only she can wake up from. In a dream that for all we know she wont want to wake up from. With no way to influence her at all." Her voice returned to it's previous level, "And all on the advice of a Cerberus...bosh'tet and a glorified computer program?"

Shepard was about to say something, when Kal held up his hand. He approached Regala and, much to the surprise of everyone in the room, grabbed her roughly and slammed her up against the wall, "The Commander wasn't forced into anything, Lieutenant!" He calmly stated, "What she did, she did on her own accord. I know you're worried about her, and it's insulting that you seem to think any of us aren't, but she doesn't need a screaming "protector" right now! She needs her damned XO to screw her head on straight right this instant or return to the ship until she does!"

There was a tense silence as Kal and Regala glared at each other, even Grunt shifted uncomfortably. A few seconds passed before Reg let out a sigh and slumped down slightly, lowering her head, "You're right. She doesn't need this." She looked up and patted Reegor's shoulder as he let go and backed up slightly, "Thanks Kal. But don't think I wont take this out on you tonight when we spar."

"I'd be worried if you didn't, Ma'am."

Regala retrieved her hat from the floor where it fell and looked around the room, "You said we can watch what she's doing?"

Tali waved her hand slightly, "Over here. I think she just entered the dream."

* * *

A/N: Before anyone asks, no. I haven't seen Inception nor did it influence the whole dream-machine thing. I have no idea whats going to happen in the next chapter, guess it'll have something to do with the Crusades. I hit a serious mental block on the dream location, and I happened to be watching a History Channel thing on the Knights Templar, so thought "Hmmm... that works." Looking forward to reviews, maybe they'll give me some ideas. Later folks!


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Well, this was a fun and somewhat easy chapter (the fact I had some of it pre-written didn't hurt the "easy" part). Have fun with a cross-over-ish chapter!

* * *

Ahlam bint La'Ahadt's movements were smooth an calculated, hardly disturbing the air, let alone the crowd she was currently navigating. In the distance, she heard the Mu'addin begin the ad'han for Asr, feeling a pang of guilt and offering an apology to Allah for not joining her brethren in prayer. _Allah would rather I complete my mission than risk losing the chance for prayer, especially given what's at stake. _

She wasn't convinced, and would spend a few hours with the Shaikh following her mission regardless, but it was enough to keep walking, her heightened senses focused on not disturbing those who were prostrated on their prayer-rugs as she approached her goal; a glamorous villa near the market, home to the Bürgermeister Hans Fuchs von Koln III of Germany, the famed "Black Fox".

She grimaced as the Shaikh's words filtered through her head again: The 'Black Fox' was a hero of the Germanic people, famed for defeating an army of Muslim's twice the size of his own, leading to the capture and, she scoffed, 'liberation' of the town. His effectiveness on the battlefield, as well as seemingly uncanny ability to keep the local populace from uprising earned him the favor of the Christian Pope and all manner of awards from his homeland. What neither of them knew, and would likely overlook if they should find out, were the true methods Hans used to maintain order.

She had merely heard rumors about the actions taken against 'difficult parties' that opposed Fuchs, but even those were enough to make her stomach turn. Torture, castration and dismemberment were the nicer of the punishments. There were even stories of crucifixions, which struck Ahlam as odd considering the Christian messiah was executed in the same manner, but she doubted Fuchs was a normal Christian.

She stopped a few blocks from the villa and glanced around, smiling inwardly as she spotted a ladder to the roof of the housing block. As she climbed, she caught a glimpse of a man, Christian she assumed since he wasn't finishing his prayers, helping a Muslim stand and brush off his prayer rug. She paused a second and watched the interaction, sighing slightly as she resumed her climb. It was unfortunate that most Christians were properly respectful and willing to co-exist, while all of the leaders tended to be the few that didn't. The Shaikh was careful to instill in his sons and daughters that the enemy wasn't Christians as a whole, just the unsavory elements that existed in all cultures.

Ahlam vaulted onto the roof and glanced around quickly, wary of the guards that patrolled the rooftops. She quickly ducked behind a small wall as an archer walked by, unsheathing her blade and listening to his footfalls, willing her breath to slow and letting a serene calm wash over her. She moved with the fluid grace that would make even the best dancer jealous, leaping over the wall and landing on the back of the archer, the pommel of her dagger cracking against his head and knocking him senseless before he even hit the roof.

She sheathed her dagger and rolled him over, pressing her hand to his neck, "You'll live, sadiqi, but your head won't appreciate it I'm afraid." She whispered, pulling a damp leaf out of her bag and applying it to his head, "This should take the edge off."

She quickly bound his hands and continued her journey towards the Villa, grateful that the guards had placed so many crossing points between buildings. Quickly neutralizing another archer, she crouched down and let her cat-like eyes survey the Bürgermeister's villa. She nearly jumped with excitement as she saw her target lounging on a patio, no more than a few hundred yards away from where she currently kneeled.

She crawled back to the archer and relieved him of his bow and a single arrow, the straightest she could find in his quiver, and crawled back to her vantage point. She licked her finger and held it up, closing her eyes as she mentally calculated for the wind and distance. Most of her brothers were traditionalists, preferring the up-close kill, arguing that it was easier to ensure the targets passing. Ahlam's counter-argument was simple: An arrow to the heart is just as deadly as a blade.

She took a deep breath and stood up, drawing the bow back and closed her eyes, "Sla'tu w'jdta as-Slam fi t'anqi al-Lah" she whispered, eyes snapping open and loosing the arrow. One of the guards glanced her direction and shouted, pointing at her but was too late. The arrow hit home, striking the Bürgermeister's unprotected neck. She smiled slightly and dropped the bow, spinning on her heels and taking off over the rooftops, hearing the shouts and warning bells from the Villa behind her. The 'Black Fox' was no more.

* * *

"Ahlam, you have a message."

"Mmmn... thank you Rafik." Ahlam stretched and let out a loud yawn, sleepily taking the paper from Rafik's wrinkled hand and opening it slowly.

"Hmmm? Looks like I'm not the only female in our family anymore, the Shaikh want's me to return and train a new recruit." She rubbed her eyes as she leaned against the door frame, tossing the note into the fireplace and stretching her arms above her head.

"Return already? You only arrived two days ago." Rafik lifted his quill and scratched a few notes on his book, glancing over his spectacles at her.

Ahlam grabbed a full water-skin and shrugged as she tossed it over her shoulder and headed towards the door, "No rest for the wicked. Ma'a Salama, sadiqi."

As she slid out the door, she flipped her hood up and disappeared into the crowd, moving towards the northern gate of the town, mind busily pondering what the newcomer would be like.

* * *

"No. No no no. A thousand times no!" Ahlam sighed and rubbed her temple, dropping the point of her sword into the dirt.

She cleared her throat and stared at the girl across from her, who was breathing heavily and brushing her stubborn hair out of her face, "You need grace, not brute strength. Poise, not aggression."

She lifted her sword and nodded at her assistant, who initiated an attack. She smoothly sliced the air, parrying her assailant's thrust deftly and stepping forward to press the flat of her blade against his neck, "Use your foe's momentum against them."

The assistant turned to her student and struck again, grunting with surprise when she blocked his strike and kneed him in the stomach. Ahlam hid her smile in her fist and crossed her arms, "Better. However we do not get in the habit of striking our partners."

Raawiya sighed and dropped her sword point into the sand, again adjusting her bangs, "Why? If we're going to fight like this, why not train like this?"

Ahlam took a sip from her water-skin and tossed it to Raawiya, "Because if we train like we fight, we'd be out of assistants by the end of the season. It also teaches control, to strike forcefully yet avoid the killing blow."

She lifted her sword and winked, "Now. Let's put today's lessons to work." No sooner had the words left her mouth, than she was dashing across the practice ring. She slid to a halt and unleashed her blade in a wicked swipe, narrowly missing her student's nose.

Raawiya yelped and barely had time to collect herself before her mentor's second strike, parrying it with a loud clang and rolling her shoulder, trying to close the distance. She grunted with surprise as her legs were swept out from under her, rolling smartly to the side and avoiding the sword-tip as it dug into the dirt where her head previously rested. She smartly sprang to her feet, sword loosely held in her hand, and began circling her mentor, searching for an opening.

She lunged forward, skillfully flicking her blade at every opening she could find, only to be blocked at the last second by her mentor's deft maneuvers. As they fought, the occupants of the courtyard gravitated towards the ring and one by one began to yell and encourage the dueling ladies, calling out advice and reacting every time one landed a particularly hard hit on another.

Raawiya suddenly stepped back and hit a rock, losing her balance slightly. Ahlam was on her in a second, knocking her sword one direction and her another. She sprawled on the ground and rolled over, lashing out with her feet and knocking Ahlam onto the ground. The struggled briefly before the flat of her mentor's sword pressed against her neck.

"Excellent, Talebati." Ahlam smiled, "You're getting better, one day you might even top your teacher."

Raawiya laughed and tapped the point of her dagger against her mentor's stomach, winking, "Maybe I'm better than you think?"

Ahlam looked down and laughed, kissing her student's cheeks affectionately, "Maybe indeed! Now all you need to work on is getting the kill without dying yourself. Our cause is not in wanting of martyrs." She vaulted to her feet, sheathing her sword and offering a hand to her pupil.

Raawiya accepted the offered hand and retrieved her sword, brushing it off on her cape, "Yeah, being a martyr sounds like more fun than anyone should be allowed to have, I'll try and stay alive. Can't have Shepard beating me in the kill-count."

Ahlam paused and quirked an eyebrow and chuckled, "What did you just say?"

Raawiya looked confused, "That I want to pass on the joy and fun that martyrdom brings?"

"No, after that. You said something about a shepard?"

"I did?" She tapped her chin and shrugged, "Maybe I've pioneering a new type of Buddhism, finding serene new ways to describe the mundane."

Ahlam rolled her eyes and opened the gate to the ring, "Let's go get something to eat, lest your ego find new ways to grow."

* * *

_One... two... three..._ Raawiya spun out from her cover, the pommel of her dagger catching the fleeing soldier's forehead. She found it comical how his head stopped, but his legs continued to travel, resulting in a senseless soldier lying flat on his back at her feet.

Ahlam ran up and patted her shoulder, "Nicely done. Now we'll have ten minutes to disappear instead of four." She nodded to the window and ran, followed closely by her student. Neither of them paused as they launched themselves out of the window, falling a story and a half before landing and rolling onto the roof below, springing to their feet as they ran. Ahlam winked and laughed, "See you at the meeting point, Talebati."

Raawiya was about to give a witty response, but turned to see nothing but empty roof next to her. She gracefully threw herself off the roof and landed with a soft 'whump' in the hay-bale below. She froze for a moment, making sure no-one saw her, then slid out of the hay, pulling her hood up and vanishing into the crowd.

At the end of the market, a soldier shouted. Raawiya's heart jumped, but she kept moving, idly strolling over to a vendor's stall and pretended to peruse the various silks and shawls he had for sale. She pushed her hood back slightly, freeing her peripheral vision and willing her complexion to stay normal as she spotted two guards approaching from the other direction. She risked a glance up and cursed; nothing but smooth rock face. If the soldier's spotted her, she'd have to fight her way out.

The soldiers stopped behind her, "Were'd they go? You see anyfin?"

A deeper voice answered, accompanied by the chink of shrugging armor, "Not a thing. Wot do they look like again?"

"Two wom'n, one 'as black 'air, the other brown. About 'ey high too." The first answered, she assumed he was motioning with his hand.

"Not much ta go on, we'll keep an 'ye out." She felt a soldier push up against her and, despite herself, gasped, dropping the small pot she was pretending to examine in the process.

"Terribly sorry, ma'am." The soldier bent to pick up the remnants of the pot and handed them to the shop owner, along with a few pieces of gold, "'At should cover it. Sorry once again."

He turned and jogged to catch up with his partner, Raawiya turning and walking as fast as she could towards the rendezvous point. She slid through the door and made sure it was latched, practically running up the stairs, letting out a deep sigh and collapsing into a chair.

"Have some excitement, Talebati?" Ahlam handed her a goblet and sat on the floor in front of her, smirking slightly, "I remember the first time I got a kill. It felt like the walls themselves were soldiers and that at any moment, King Richard's entire army would jump out from behind the next corner."

Raawiya sipped the cool wine and sighed, finally relaxing, "A solider touched me. Like, actually bumped into me in the market. I thought I was done for."

Ahlam swirled her wine and chuckled, "Well now, you have a great story to tell your friends, don't you?"

"Yeah. Regala is going to have a heart-attack when I tell her about this." Raawiya laughed, finishing her drink.

Ahlam's goblet paused halfway to her mouth, "Who?"

"Regala? She's a... friend..." Raawiya suddenly looked confused, staring into her goblet.

"Talebati?"

"I don't know where that name came from, just like the other day. The shepard thing..." Raawiya looked confused and shook her head.

Ahlam stood and took Raawiya's hand, leading her to a straw mat in the corner of the small home, "Why don't you lay down. You've had an eventful day. I'll take watch."

Raawiya nodded and threw her cloak onto the chair, flopping down onto the mat and wiggling into the straw. She was out cold moments later.

* * *

The moon shone down brightly, illuminating the bright gold dome of the central mosque, bathing the entire city in a soft blue glow. Ahlam sat perched in the window, her leg dangling out over the street below, idly twirling her dagger and watching the starts glint off it's polished surface.

_Regala. Shepard._ She tossed the dagger and caught it deftly, sighing, _what do they mean? _Sheathing her the weapon she yawned and stretched, rubbing her back against the wooden window frame, her mind constantly repeating those two words.

_She was running from... something. She could hear a strange clicking sound behind her, echoing with the loud clanks of metal on metal. She was running down a strange corridor, smooth metal on all sides. She turned a corner and slid to a stop, a strange masked human standing in a door way, urgently gesturing to her and yelling. She ran forward, hearing a loud series of explosions behind her and feeling hard impacts on her back, the human in the door way hefting a strange metal object... a... gun? And shooting back. She jumped through the doorway and looked up, the mysterious individual jumping in next to her and closing the door, but not before she jerked suddenly as a blue shimmer appeared on her shoulder. "Lieutenant!"_

Ahlam sat up suddenly and shook her head, rubbing the sweat out of her eyes. She looked at her hands and blinked in confusion, glancing around and out the window she was sleeping in.

"No way..." she leaned back against the window and began laughing, rubbing her cheeks and forehead, "Holy Keelah, they weren't kidding when they said I wouldn't be myself." Aila muttered, looking over her arms and legs again, wiggling her two middle fingers and raising an eyebrow, "Now this is weird."

She jumped to her feet and brushed herself off, tapping her chin, "Hokay... now to find the doctor and get the hell out of here." She walked towards the door, whistling to herself, "Head back to the encampment and ask for... ask for... uhh..." She paused and blinked a few times, "...aaaah dammmmmiiiiiitt..." she groaned, slamming her head against the door-frame.

* * *

A/N: Holy hell that was a ton of jumping around, but I didn't feel like dragging this dream sequence out through multiple chapters. The down side is that I cannibalized a potential future Assassin's Creed fan-fic to get this chapter, oh well. For those of you who are wondering, yes I did study Arabic. For those of you who are fluent, no I'm not very good at it, but I can stumble my way through a conversation with minimal headache on the receiving end. Here are some translations for those of you who are wondering:

Sla'tu w'jdta as-Slam fi t'anqi al-Lah - I pray you find peace in God's embrace.

Talebati – My student.

Mu'addin, Ad'han, Asr - The one who leads the call to prayer prayer, call to prayer, the afternoon prayer.


	21. Interlude!

Hey all, it's Aila. The adorable, sexay, irresistible subject of the epic story of... epic..ness...that you're...reading. Anyway. The person in charge of writing my... biography, I suppose. Is running into a plethora of school work and won't be able to devote much time towards writing the next chapter. At least that's what he says, I think he's just hit the mother of all mental blocks and is stalling for time... shhh... you didn't hear that from me.

So, he had this awesome idea where y'all ask me questions about... well... pretty much anything. Except for spoilers, of course. Where would the fun be in that, amirite? Want to hear about the adventures I had on my pilgrimage? Want to know why Reg is such a pain in the ass an amazing and wonderful individual that I am lucky beyond belief to have in my life? (She hit me!) Or maybe the story behind Jato and how he can have an Asari mother but not be petite and blue? Ask away! I'll check back periodically and give replies in this chapter, it'll just update daily or whenever I get a question. I don't want to add a dozen chapters that are nothing but me answering questions in my awkward, makes-an-English-teacher-cry writing style. I'm having someone else write my story for a reason, y'know, writing is one of the three things I'm not nearly perfect in. The other two being modesty and Rubik's Cubes. (Seriously! What kind of sick mind came up with that and decided it would be a good toy? Damn thing should be part of the Mensa test, I swear. And yes we have Mensa in... your... 22nd century.)

So take advantage of this once in a lifetime oppourtunity ("lifetime" in this context meaning "time it takes for whats-his-face to hit another mental block) to ask those burning questions that I know are floating around in your minds causing stress and sleeping issues. I'll toss up a quick bio on me to tide you guys over until some questions begin getting answered.

* * *

Name: AilaGerrel vas Illusion nar Neema (Aka: Coolest girl ever)

Age: 21

Rank: Lieutenant Commander...ish...sort of. (See footnote about this one, it's confusing)

Position: "Acting" CO of the Illusion. Again, see the footnote.

Pilgrimage: Most of my time was spent with the System Alliance on the SSV Hudson, a resupply freighter in 2nd Fleet. (Fun fact: The Hudson had the hardware and attachment points for armor and armament and could be re-launched from Arcturus Station as an oversized medium cruiser in under 24 hours. Standard armament would place it between light cruiser and frigate.) I was initially assigned to engineering, where I impressed everyone with my technical abilities. About half-way through, I requested and received a re-assignment to the marine detachment stationed on the vessel, that's where I honed my combat abilities. (You're looking at the winner of the 9th annual 2nd fleet marksman competition.) My gift, if you're wondering, was a shipment of weapons that were on their way to be scrapped, having been rendered obsolete for Alliance Navy use by newer versions.

Flotilla service: Was assigned to the Adami as a marine under Reg, served there for a few months during which I helped repel an attack from a Batarian slaver ship that had a set of quads and managed to catch us with our guard down. You all know the rest.

* * *

Name: Regala'Darini vas Illusion

Age: 26

Rank: Lieutenant Commander (Becha didn't know that, huh? She didn't really want the promotion, hence why everyone continued to refer to her as "Lieutenant". Plus it cuts down on the confusion, since I'm a Lieutenant Commander too.)

Position: XO of the Illusion

Pilgrimage: Spent in Turian space, jumping between various supply ships and stations. Managed to get onto a scout frigate as a weapons specialist. Awarded a medal of merit for a combination of outstanding service and her role in a boarding operation of a suspected slaver vessel.

Flotilla history: Was assigned to the Adami as a marine Sergeant. Field promotion to Ensign two years later after her squad's commander died in a salvage operation that went awry. Continued to serve in an outstanding manner, eventually achieving the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade and becoming the Adami's senior marine officer. Was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and assigned to the Illusion as the XO. (Even if I hadn't chosen her, she could've been an XO with her service record (It would be very unlikely, but not impossible), so no footnotes for her position or rank)

* * *

*Footnote: Okay, so lemme explain the situation with me and the Illusion. According to Quarian laws, the commanding officer of a vessel must be at least commander in rank, but that's rare as it is preferred to have a captain in charge. Should unique circumstances arise, the Admiralty Board may appoint a lieutenant commander to the position of CO so long as it is not a key Flotilla Vessel (Example: a commander will never command the Rayya, let alone a lieutenant commander).

The Admiralty Board may also approve field promotions that span more than one rank or enlisted to officer transition. Basically, the CO of a ship may field promote someone from enlisted to ensign, or from ensign to lieutenant junior grade, lieutenant junior grade to lieutenant, etc. The Admiralty Board can field promote in larger increments, up to and including Lieutenant Commander. Hence my jump from Sergeant to Lieutenant Commander.

Now, the fine-print with a jump of that magnitude is that my promotion is only effective until the extenuating circumstances behind it are resolved. Aka, as soon as the Illusion is able to be commanded by someone other than me AND Captain Shepard no longer requires my assistance, I'll most likely be bumped back down to lieutenant junior grade or lieutenant. My command experience would warrant not dragging me back down to enlisted or even ensign.

* * *

So, with that wall-o-text out of the way, I'll leave you all with this: ask me some questions!


	22. Chapter 21

A/N: Yeah, so epic delay between updates. First I had Thanksgiving break, then I got back and ran a gauntlet of projects and assignments. I hope to have another chapter up next week, but no promises.

* * *

The rooftops and dizzying heights blurred under Aila's feet as she ran and leapt from building to building, barely able to keep up with her target as he fled across Acre. Slipping and barely catching herself, she cursed herself for the twentieth time; "That was brilliant, Aila. Just brilliant 'Hey, how's it going. You're a scientist from 2000 years in the future who is in a dream, you need to wake up.' How in Keelah's name did you expect that to turn out?" She barely made it across a particularly large chasim between buildings and landed hard, rolling back to her feet.

She yelped, screeching to a halt and narrowly avoiding impailing herself on her target's sword.

"It's obvious you're dedicated to your mission. I'll ask you again. Who. Sent. You." he asked, flicking the tip of his sword up against her throat.

Aila swallowed nerviously, "Like I said. You are not Mahan. Your name is Doctor Marcus Wilheim. You are not an assassin, you're a archaelogical scientest working for the Systems Alliance. You and your team just unearthed an artifact of massive importance and you were subsequently captured by a terrorist organization. This... world... "she motioned behind her and tapped the sword, "is just a fabrication of your mind. You're dreaming, Dr. Wilheim."

He laughed and stepped back, "There are whispers that you might be the greatest assassin to ever live, Ahlam. I wonder how many would continue if they knew you were mad."

A frusterated groan escaped Aila's throat, "The Copernicus relay. You and your team were the first to go through, the first to see the Trevist system. It was in that system, on a planet called "Marion" that you found the artifact."

Nothing.

"'To be a true scientist, one must not be distracted by the false euphoria of supposition..."

"'... but must bind oneself to the truth presented in the data.'" The sword dropped with a clatter, it's previous holder steadying himself against a chimney, "How did I know the rest of that quote? Who said t?"

Aila smiled, lips parted slightly as a cautiously optomistic sigh escaped, "You did. In a lecture on galactic history you gave on the SSV Hudson while I was on my pilgramige."

"SSV...Hudson? Yes... I... I think I remember..." Aila noticed the doctor's accent slowly changing as his mind cleared, "This is... I have memories of my childhood in Damascus... and yet... I also remember a metal station... how can one possibly be two people at once?"

"I'm in the same boat, doctor. I have my childhood and Ahlam's in my memories, and both feel as though they are real." She rested a hand on the doctor's shoulder, "Things'll clear up once you awaken. But doctor, we need to wake up right now. I have no idea how long we've been here."

The doctor closed his eyes, listening to the wind as it carried the sounds and smells of the city across the rooftops, "I have experienced something others can only dream of. To live the life of another." His accent was very thick now, Aila noticed as she gazed around the city.

"It is quite-..." The doctor was gone, only the sword lying on the floor was an indication of his presence. Aila smiled and closed her eyes, letting a warm tingle gradually move up her body, "Quite memorable."

* * *

"... is she waking up? Why isn't she waking up?" _Voices? Am I awake? More importantly, which 'me' is doing the waking?_

"She's out of the dream now. She should be conscious momentarily." _Well, that's Miranda's accent. Check that question off my list._

Aila sensed someone in front of her, a light brush across her cheek setting her heart fluttering. She rolled onto her side and put on her best whiny voice, "Aww moooom. Just five more minutes. I don't wan- AUGH!" her arms shot downward to break her fall as Reg upended the bed.

"Hey! I just had a traumatic deep-dream experience and that's how you wake me up? I could have serious emotional scarring here!" Aila sprang to her feet, sticking her tongue out at Reg, "Anyway. Did the doc wake up too?"

"I most certianly did, my dear. I thank you for putting yourself at risk in order to save me." His had found hers and he bowed, placing a kiss on the back of her hand and causing her cheeks to color furiously. No one noticed the brief wave of jealousy that flashed through Regala's eyes.

"Wow. Uhm... you're welcome doctor." Aila cleared her throat and fought to control her blushing.

The door slid open, admitting Executor Bailey and a handful of C-Sec officers, "Shepard. I see soliciting your help was the right decision. Damn fine job, son." He signaled to the officers behind him and continued, "We can take care of it from here. You and your squad should get some well-earned r&r. I hear the Dark Star has a live band tonight, I might be able to pull some strings with event security if you're interested."

Shepard laughed and shook Bailey's offered hand, shaking his head slightly, "Thanks but no thanks, friend. We still have to meet with the council today. Going to a bar before hand wouldn't be the wisest course."

"It'd make the meeting infinitely more bearable, however." Everyone turned and stared at Miranda, who blinked and blushed slightly, "What? Don't look at me like that. I can't stand the Council either."

She grunted slightly as Ashley patted her shoulder heavily, "If that's the case, I say we" she motioned to everyone but Aila, Reg and Shepard, "take Bailey up on that offer and let our fearless captain handle the politics."

A rare smile invaded Miranda's normally stoic features, "Still wanting to prove that four tours of duty can out-drink perfect genetic construction?"

"Damn straight, cheerleader." Her response earned a snicker from Jack, and an eyeroll from Miranda.

Shepard sighed, a gloved hand rubbing his forehead, "Fine. You all have fun, but please keep it out of the extranet reports."

* * *

"Ooof... that was a long day. And that was before we had that lovely meeting with everyone's favorite Council." Aila tossed her weapons onto her desk, jumping onto her bed with a satisfied sigh.

The bed shook as Reg threw herself down next to her, entwining her hands behind her head, "Things would've gone smoother if you hadn't insulted the Turian Councilor."

"Oh come on, everyone was thinking it, I just said it." Aila sat up, her voice twisting into a passable turian impersionation, "You dare try and convince me of something that doesn't fit into my beautiful mold of how the universe is supposed to work? Now you shall face my wrath!" She jumped onto Reg, holding her hands next to her head, curling her fingers "Sarcastic air quotes of death!"

Reg rolled her eyes, "Verbally speculating on his ability to have his nose in the air and his head up his ass at the same time might not have been the most diplomatic way to voice your dispeasure."

A bored shrug, "Eh, I'm a fighter. Diplomacy for me involves heat-sinks and grenades." Glancing down, she let a slight grin play across her face, "Remember what I said on the rooftop?"

Two hands slowly ran up her thighs, coming to a rest on her waist and squeezing affectionatly, "Something about holding a particular thought?" The hands went into motion again, sliding ever so slowly upward.

Aila tilted her head, watching the hands carefully, "Well, we have some down time while the Council decides what to do with us, so we could-"

"Aila, the Quarian Flotilla is demanding you speak with them in the conference room." The romantic mood was shattered as Eva's voice echoed through the room.

"...Can keep holding said thoughts..." Aila buried her face in Reg's shoulder, "Eva. Who answered their original transmission?"

Eva's avatar appeared on Aila's omni-tool, eyebrow extended, "Uhm. I did. Veetor is piloting the ship, I thought I'd step in and handle the messages."

"And when they asked who you were...?"

"I told them I was the ship's new AI, of course."

Reg groaned and slapped both hands onto her face, "Of course you did..."

Aila headed towards the door, her left eye twitching as a headache made it's presence known, "Well, there is some good news." She turned as Reg finished sealing her helmet, "They can't recall us until the Council is done with their punishment."

"I'm so glad you're always looking on the bright side of things."

* * *

"Lieutenant Commander. When we gave you provisional command and leave to assist Captain Shepard with his mission, we entrusted you to embody the rules and traditions of our race. To show the galaxy that we are not the same race that foolishly created the Geth over three-hundred years ago." Aila could almost see the steam under Admiral Xen's helmet, "And what do you do with that trust? You run off and let an AI take control of your ship? Care to try and explain how that action doesn't bring more danger and discrimination to our race?"

"Well, for one she isn't an AI-"

"She? Keelah above, you've grown attached to it?" This time it was Kar who spoke up, shaking his head in disbelief.

Aila continued as if she hadn't been interrupted, "She is an organic consciousness in a digital form. Don't bother asking me how it works, because I have no idea. All I know is that if she wanted to cause harm, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. In my opinion, she's trustworthy."

"In your opinion?" Daro scoffed, "Forgive me if I don't rush to trust the opinion of a provisional commander who is barely this side of adult-hood." She turned to the rest of the admirals, "She doesn't even adhere to wearing a helmet. Yes, it's lovely that she doesn't need it to survive anymore, but to throw away such an integral part of our culture on a whim..."

"Okay, that's enough!" The room hushed at Regala's outburst, "I'm sick of this. Aila is doing the best damn job she can with the hand she's been given." She stepped in front of Aila and pointed at Daro's holographic image, "Despite everything she's done, the difficult decisions she's had to make, all you bosh'tet's can do is sit there and lecture her about what could have been. How about you be productive for a change and suggest where to go from here?"

"Reg..." Aila stepped forward, placing a hand on her XO's shoulder, who continued to rant, "You said it yourself Admiral Xen, Aila is fresh out of childhood. So no, she won't make the right decision every time, and when she doesn't, it falls to you, all of you, to give her advice! She won't learn on her own without making a massive amount of mistakes, so why not avoid some of them by giving her advice?"

She squeezed the shoulder harder, "Reg! I can handle this." Reg stared at her for a moment before exhaling and stepping back, still visibly tense and angry.

Aila cleared her throat, "I apologize for my XO's outburst, we're under a lot of stress and haven't had much sleep. Admirals, I promise you that I am doing the best I can, and that every action I take is with the betterment of the Flotilla at heart. I saw a unique oppourtunity with the A.I, and my intuition told me that she was safe to trust."

Han finally spoke, "We understand the difficulties you're facing, Lieutenant Commander. Much of our hostility is baised in surprise and shock, not anger. I believe it would be better if we continued this conversation at a later date, let both parties think on it and rest up."

Daro tensed, but said nothing, waving her hand dismissively, "Very well. We'll discuss this later. Admiralty Board out."

The communication cut, leaving Aila and Regala in a quiet room.

"I hate them sometimes. They sit there and think they're one step below the Anscestors and can hand out judgment at will. It's not fair how they treat you, Aila. Not even close!"

Aila laughed and caught Reg's cheeks in her hands, thumbs pressing over her lips, "Shush you. I appreciate you coming to my defense... I really do, Reg. But I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

Reg sighed, bringing her arms up to rest on Aila's shoulders, leaning forward until their foreheads touched, "I know. I just couldn't stand by while they lambasted you for Eva and... well... sa-"

The speed and force at which Aila moved to initiate the kiss caught Reg off guard, resulting in both of them falling unceremoniously into the floor. Silence filled the room, followed by uproarious laughter.

Gasping for air, Aila somehow managed to form words, "We... we can't even." She paused to giggle, "Can't even kiss without hurting ourselves. How... how are we going to... to defeat the Reapers?"

"We kiss them!" Reg shouted, burying her face in both hands. Aila rolled off her and curled up on the floor, clutching her stomach with one arm and frantically waving with the other.

"No more! I'm dying here!" What felt like an enternity passed before the laughter trickled off into giggles and slowly faded.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Reg pulled herself into one of the seats, laying back with a sigh, "Oh Keelah... I haven't laughed like that in years."

Aila giggled and crawled over, pulling herself into a sitting position and lying her head on Reg's knee, "Neither have I." She noticed the look Reg shot her direction and rolled her eyes, "Oh don't even start."

Their musings were interrupted by Eva's avatar appearing on one of the pads, "Commander? Captain Shepard has arrived at the airlock and wants to see you. He says he has a... proposition for you."

The two exchanged curious glances, "A 'proposition'? What aren't you telling me, Eva?"

She shrugged, "Not my place to say. I'm guessing if he wanted you to know more before he had a chance to speak with you, he would've told me more."

"Well. Guess it'll be a surprise. I love surprises." Aila grumbled, quickly checking herself over before exiting the communication room. Most of the crew were on the citadel, making the most of their situation by exploring the 'jewel of the galaxy'. She scoffed slightly, musing over the fact that no more than three years ago, this 'jewel' was on the verge of falling into the hands of the very enemy she was being punished for trying to fight. The reactions of the various council members were telling: Anderson and Tsarina had been intrigued, if more than a little apprehensive. Toran was the most accepting of the situation, expressing a great deal of interest in the technological benefits that could be gained. Thrax, predictibley, was pissed. The second the meeting started, he ranted about vandalism of Hierarchy property, breaking of Council laws regarding artificial intelligencies, even suggested that situations such as these were the precise reason why quarian's shouldn't be allowed to prosper again. Her fists tightened subconsciously. She had been so close to jumping the gap and beating the bastard senseless with his own podium, Shepard had to step between them and cool her off.

"Alright," she sighed as they reached the airlock, tapping the cycle button, "let's see this big surprise of his."

_Probably asking for help with some new mission, _she mused, _or a new crew member. We already have a krogan, what's next? A hanar? _She smirked as the mental image of a hanar trying to operate a repair torch flashed through her mind. _Although knowing Shepard's past and how strange gravitates to him, it's probably something from way out in the terminus._ The outer door slid open, revealing the Captain.

"Captain Shep-..." she froze as her gaze fell on the individual standing next to him.

"Creator Aila'Gerrel."

* * *

A/N: Short, kinda rough around the edges, but there you have it.


	23. Chapter 22

A/N: That everything holy that semester is over. Now I can focus on more important things like video-games and regular updates!

* * *

"Keelah! It's a geth!" Reg shouted, her shotgun out and tucked into her shoulder before the words had fully left her mouth.

Shepard jumped in front of her, "Stand down Lieutenant! This one is friendly."

"A friendly geth, Shepard? If I recall correctly, the Geth were working with the Reapers." Aila snapped, mentally chastising herself for leaving her weapons in her quarters.

Shepard shook his head, "The Geth that worked with the Reapers were a splinter faction, not the main collective. They have been dealt with, Legion represents the Geth who are still behind the veil."

"Oh, so his kind is only responsible for almost eradicating my people and forcing us into exile?" Aila spread her arms and bowed, "If that's all then I apologize! Attempted genocide is easily forgiven, after all."

Legion's head-flaps twitched slightly, "The creator's initiated the attack. The Geth were merely defending ourselves."

Aila let out a snarl and grabbed Reg's pistol, shoving Shepard out of the way and pointing it directly at Legion's head, "You bosh'tets killed millions of us. Forced us to flee the only planet we've ever know. Our suits, the way our people are looked down upon as the trash of the galaxy, everything is your damn fault!"

"Aila put the gun down! That is a direct order!" Shepard yelled.

Aila whirled and leveled the gun at him, "No! The Geth are a blight on my people! Humans have been given the red carpet, you have no idea what it's like to be hated and loathed just for being who you are!"

A loud bark sounded from the direction of the elevator, "Lieutenant Commander Aila'Gerrel, put that weapon down!" The assembled group turned to see Tali, flanked by Mordin and Garrus, storm out of the elevator.

"Tali! Don't tell me you support this? This is a Geth! You of all people should know what these... things have done to us!" She let the pistol drop slightly.

Tali stepped up and swiped the gun out of Aila's hand, "I do. I never had a father thanks to the Geth. They were the reason he was never around, and they are the reason he is dead. Which is why you need to believe me when I say that you need to listen to what John has to say."

A few tense moments passed as Aila stared at Legion, her mind obviously conflicted. Finally her shoulders slumped and she waved to Regala, stepping back slightly, "Okay... okay I'll listen. But that's all I'll do."

Although she had lowered her shotgun, Reg kept it deployed, positioning herself between Aila and Legion as best she could, her senses still on high alert.

"Aila, I know you're distrustful of Legion, and no one is accusing you of overreacting. But there is something you need to know." He glanced at Tali briefly before continuing, "Legion and the rest of the Geth are willing to open peaceful communications with your people."

Aila felt herself go light-headed, leaning against Reg slightly and shaking her head, "They... what?"

"The Geth have reached a consensus that initializing Geth-Creator relations is best for both of our races." Legion stated.

"Why are you telling her this? Why haven't you contacted the Admiralty Board?" Regala asked.

Tali sighed and shook her head, "The Admiralty Board is too set in their ways, they'd refuse any attempt at a meeting on principle." She looked directly at Aila, "But you've already demonstrated a willingness to ignore "tradition" when it becomes a liability. You ceased wearing a helmet almost immediately when it was no longer needed, you allowed an A.I into your ship when you saw the strategic advantage and the chance to save your XO."

"But... why do they want to negotiate peace with us? Don't they hate us as much as we hate them?" Aila was still feeling light headed, but had recovered enough to formulate an intelligent question.

"The lower-indexed run-times still posses hostility towards the Creators, however higher-index run-times have reconsidered their stance and are the ones pushing for Creator-Geth relations." Legion's head-flaps twitched slightly, "In essence the... younger Geth are the ones who desire change. It is their consensus that the younger Creators would be most open to change as well."

The loading bridge descended into silence, everyone looking at Aila expectantly, the quiet humming of the various systems reverberating around the metal bay. Aila paced around the loading ramp, anxiously rubbing her hands together and looking off into the nebula, "I... don't know."

"It could be the turning point for our species, Aila. Imagine the ramifications!" Tali voice quickened as her excitement surfaced, "We could get our home-world back. Re-join the council races. Maybe even bring the Geth into the fold with the rest of the universe! And if the Quarians and Geth can work together, maybe this will inspire the other races to open up. The Batarians could re-join the Citadel. Maybe even initiate peaceful talks with the Rachni! This could all start right here! Right-"

"I got it!" Aila shouted, running her hands through her hair, "All because of me. Because I said yes. I get that. Or this Geth and the AI that I already let on my ship in a wave of naïve emotion could end up being sleeper agents and the reason the Reapers win. I don't know! Okay? I may have... this" She yanked the command start off her uniform and waved it around, "...this... thing. But I am not a commander. I'm not even close! I'm just an inexperienced marine sergeant who couldn't even do THAT job without being a screw up!" She threw the star on the deck in-front of Shepard, "I shouldn't be here! I shouldn't have to do this! You're the hero. You have the experience and always do the right thing. You make the decision. I... I can't do this. I won't do this!"

She spun on her heel and ran to the elevator. Reg made to chase her but was held back by Mordin, "Aila is experiencing emotional duress. Best remedy is time to herself. Besides, want to examine nano-tech implanted in you. Compare to Aila's sample. Could lead to revolutionary medical advancements."

Reg gnawed on her lip and stared at the elevator, reaching down to pick up the discarded star and looking it over, "Yeah... okay... I guess she does need her space." Her tone made it clear she was convincing herself more than anyone else, but she figured Mordin was probably right.

* * *

Aila was lost in her thoughts. Fighting to make sense of everything, only descending further and further into uncertainty. Her random wanderings led her to a secluded view window, far removed from the bustling crowds of the wards. Her mind raced, picking and prodding everything she had been told about both the Geth and what they did to her people, descending further into confusion with each passing moment.

She raised her eyes and stared out into the nebula, "Keelah... ancestors..." her eyes closed and she hung her head, "mom... if you're listening. I really need help. I don't know what to do, about anything. I'm all alone here, even dad can't help because he's an admiral. I just... I need a sign. Something. Anything..." she wiped the tears away, only to have them replaced by fresh ones.

A slight rustling reached her ears, causing her to turn her head. Sitting next to her was the most beautiful asari she had ever laid eyes on; elegant and wise, but with a youthful and compassionate glow in her eyes, which were fixed on Aila. The asari smiled sweetly, "I apologize for eavesdropping, but I couldn't help but notice your distress. Maybe I can help clear the haze."

"It's fine." Aila shrugged, turning to stare out the window again, "At this point I'm willing to take advice from anyone short of a politician." Aila's mind paused for a moment. The rational part was screaming for her mouth to stop and her legs to work, but it was overpowered by the instinctual part: for whatever reason, sharing this problem with this stranger felt... right? Aila scoffed slightly, _'Is there such a thing as 'right' anymore?'_

"You are hesitant to speak with a stranger." Aila blinked and stared at the asari with a puzzled expression on her face. The asari laughed slightly, "In my line of work, reading people is just as important as convincing them to trust me. And trust me you can, I have yet to betray the confidence of anyone who has sought my advice."

"Alright." Aila sighed, letting her shoulders drop, "The root of the problem, honestly, is probably me. I mean, I'm a 21 year old who just got back from her pilgrimage no more than a year ago and I've been thrown into command of a ship, with a crew and without any formal training." She stood up and paced in front of the window, the asari calmly following her movements with her eyes, "Then I get these impossible situations where I have to make a decision on my own and without any time to contemplate, I make my decision and damn near everyone lines up to lecture me about how I'm a terrible captain for making such poor decisions..." she rested her forehead against the cold window, "...and before I can recover from that fiasco... I get another, equally impossible decision, thrown in my lap."

She felt two hands rest on her shoulders, a calming effect immediately flowing through her as the asari spoke, "This first decision. The one you say everyone is disappointed with. Who's life was at risk?"

"My XO's..." Aila whispered, subconsciously leaning towards the gentle touch.

"She's more than that. Isn't she."

The statement caught Aila off guard, causing her to stumble over her words, "I... well... she wasn't at the time... but now... I mean... she was, but..."

Her ramblings were cut off by a blue hand covering her mouth, "I see. And what was it you did that has everyone upset?"

Aila sighed, "I let an AI interface with my ship. I'm pretty sure every race in the galaxy has that as the number-one thing never to do. I mean, this AI is actually a... living being who's conscious was transferred into a computer. She's one of the race that created the Reapers, once I found that out I was glad, you know? I thought that her perspective on the Reapers could give us the advantage we needed, but..."

"But your superiors can't see past the AI part. Many people express the same frustration with their superiors. Tell me, has this AI done anything to indicated it's hostile or doesn't wish to help?"

"No. The opposite, actually. She's optimized all of our systems, provided plans for new shielding and weapons that would be effective against the Reapers. I mean... I'm almost to the point where I'd consider her a... member of my crew." Aila blinked as she said the last part, _'A member of my crew? Eva?'_

"So your decision, as I understand it, not only saved your lovers life, but also provided a vital component in defeating the Reapers." She laughed and spun Aila round, tilting her head slightly, "Sounds to me like you made the right choice, does it not?"

"I suppose." Aila sighed, "It's just hard to remain optimistic when everyone is telling you that you're wrong. Even father seemed... let down when I told him."

They stood in silence for a moment, listening to the bustle of the skycars as they crisscrossed the wards. The asari reached up and gently brushed Aila's cheek, "I'm going to give you the same advice I've given countless individuals who found themselves in similar circumstances: Do what you think is right. Even if it turns out to be the wrong move, at least you will have the comfort of knowing you followed your instincts.

Aila laughed slightly, "So I'd just have to live with the knowledge that my instincts doomed the galaxy. No pressure, right?"

"Would you rather live with the knowledge that going against your instincts caused the war to be lost instead?" She held up a hand and cut off Aila's response, "I wont pretend to know what it's like to have such weighty decisions rest on my shoulders, but having made a living advising those who make decisions such as these every day, I think I know what I'm saying when I say: Be yourself. Lead how you want to lead."

"Well, I guess I haven't destroyed anything overly valuable yet, so why not?" Aila giggled slightly, then glanced at the asari questioningly.

"May I ask one more question?" She waited for Aila's nod, "Even though you obviously don't need the suit anymore, why do you forgo the helmet? I wound imagine that after 200 years of wearing them, they are as much a part of being a quarian as the ability to repair ships."

Aila covered her mouth and giggled, "If you think that last part is universal, you haven't met my XO. She thinks everything can be fixed with a hammer and that if it can't, well we need a new one anyway." The asari shook her head and snorted softly, Aila cleared her throat, "Anyway, as for why I don't wear the helmet... I dunno...I guess I never felt it was a part of who I was. It was just a helmet, not like our hood and shawl. Just because it's 'tradition', doesn't mean you shouldn't change it when the opportunity arises. I guess I get that from my mother, she was always causing her captains headaches over changing 'traditional' ways of doing things. She even campaigned for a switch from the military-led government to a civilian controlled one, much to the dismay of the traditionalists like father."

"So thinking outside the box and throwing tradition to the wind run in the family, I take it?" She laughed, "May I ask how she died?"

Aila paused for a moment, then shrugged, "She was on a survey mission. Having finally convinced the Admiralty Board to consider the possibility of settling a new world, she was given permission to take a ship and scout out possible locations for review. I knew they were just humoring her and would just file the data away like they did with every other patrol of that nature, but I remember she was thrilled to lead such a mission and was convinced that they'd listen this time." Aila turned to look out into the nebula, crossing her arms across her stomach, "They sent a transmission that they'd picked up an anomaly in a near-by asteroid belt and were going to investigate... that was the last transmission sent. The Board sent out two frigates to their last know position to investigate... they found the crew stranded on a nearby asteroid. The ship's core had broken containment and went critical. My... mother... she stayed behind and held off the inevitable as long as she could to ensure the escape-pods had time to reach safe distance." She looked at her hands and balled them into fists, "Turns out one of the ship's original crew knew about the malfunctioning system but said nothing... he said it was a chance to get rid of the 'non-traditional' elements before they destroyed the flotilla from the inside-out."

She felt the asari's arm around her shoulder and leaned in slightly, letting out a tired sigh, "I never found out who it was or what happened." They shared the silence for awhile, Aila smiling slightly as she remembered her mother's smile and enthusiastic nature. Aila tilted her head, staring at the asari and narrowing her eyes, "Now that I've poured out my heart, can I at least get your name?"

She laughed, "I suppose that is a fair request. My name is Sha'ira... you might know me better as simply "The Consort."

Aila's head jerked and her brow furrowed, "The Consort? But I thought the Consort was just-" She stopped suddenly, "Uhhh... I mean what I've heard was that..."

Sha'ira shook her head and chuckled, "That I'm a high-priced prostitute? To be perfectly honest, to some that is exactly what I am. I am whatever the person who comes to me wishes me to be. To some I'm a confidant, to others I'm a friend, and still to others I'm a physical indulgence. Either way, I'm helping people obtain what they desire and that is enough for me."

"I never saw anything wrong with that, personally. I mean, everyone needs... err... you know. You can make a credit doing anything else in the galaxy, why not this?" She giggled, scratching the back of her neck slightly. "So... since you're so sought after and expensive... why are you here and giving advice away for free just for me?"

Sha'ira smiled and walked over to the window, gazing out, "Every so often I like to get out of my office... wander around the Citadel a little and collect my thoughts. I can't help others if I'm going crazy myself, now can I?" She looked at her omni-tool and clicked her tongue, "Speaking of which, my next appointment is in a few minutes. Hopefully I've helped you decide on a course to take during the course of our discussion."

Aila nodded, "You certainly helped... that's for sure. Thanks Sha'ira."

She tapped her omni-tool, ordering a skytaxi to the nearest platform and turned to leave. Before she disappeared down the hallway, she halted and turned back to Aila, "One more thing, Aila. I had a client scheduled for this time slot who backed out in the last minute. Furthermore, I generally stay near the presidium and hardly ever journey this far into the wards." She smiled and winked, "I'm not one to believe in coincidences, so I'd say someone is watching out for you." With that she was gone, leaving Aila with her thoughts.

She subconsciously reached up to the spot that her command star had rested until recently, cursing under her breath when she touched the empty fabric. She looked out at the nebula again, a slow smile creeping across her face. "Thanks mom." she whispered, turning and running towards the sky-taxi terminal.

* * *

"Ow. Ow ow OOOW! _T'lac desha tona'rit_!" Reg fought the urge to yank the needle out of her arm, gritting her teeth and glaring at Mordin.

"Always was fascinated with the belief that foul language would lessen discomfort. Personally found demoxyprothaline much more effective." He finished drawing the blood and dabbed some medi-gel on Reg's arm, "Last sample. Promise. Should give better insight into the nano-technology." Mordin walked over to his terminal and emptied the contents of the syringe into a vial, placing it in some contraption that Reg didn't even pretend to understand.

"So what exactly was wrong with the last 5 samples you took, doc?" Reg wandered over next to where he was jabbing at a keyboard at a frantic pace, picking at the med-gel with her other hand.

She jumped when Mordin's hand shot out and slapped it away, hardly missing a beat on the keyboard, "Nanites knew they weren't in your body anymore. Engaged self-destruct system. All that remained were the exterior shells. Ran into the same problem with Aila's samples, but was able to trick them easier."

Reg idly rotated the enlarged 3D image of a nanite and scratched her head, "So you're saying I have thousands of these little robots in my blood that... are smart enough to know when they aren't inside me anymore and can self-destruct?"

"Millions, actually. And yes." Mordin stared at her, "Would kindly ask you to cease toying with the hologram. Very distracting."

Reg stepped back, holding both hands up, "Sorry."

"No need to apologize. Shepard would do similar things. Restlessness is a sign of high endorphin levels present in those more accustomed to physical exercises, as opposed to mental."

"I never was one for the sciency stuff." Her head jerked towards the door as it dinged and slid open, barely suppressing the sigh of relief as Aila strode in, the customary bounce in her step had evidently returned with a vengeance.

Aila waved at her and winked, turning to the doctor who, for all she knew, hadn't even noticed her entrance, "Doctor Mordin? Do you know where Legion is?"

EDI's blue sphere appeared next to her, "Legion is currently in my AI core, through the medical bay on deck three, Lieutenant Commander."

Aila turned and smiled, "Thanks EDI. Reg, could you head back to the ship and have everyone assemble in the comm room?"

"I see our captain is back." Reg commented with no small hint of excitement in her voice, "If that's the case, you'll need this." She reached into her pouch and removed the star, carefully affixing it to Aila's shawl before kissing her forehead, "Glad you're back, Aila."

"Thanks Reg." She smiled, "I came to the conclusion that I'm going to run things my way. If the Council or the Admiralty Board have a problem with it, they can go to hell. I'm the one in command."

"If I may say so, you should've had that attitude from day one." Reg giggled, entwining her hand with Aila's as they left the lab, "So what's the occasion for assembling the crew?"

Aila winked and gave Reg's hand a final squeeze before heading towards the elevator, calling over her shoulder, "I want them to meet our newest crew member."

* * *

A/N: Yay! Legion is joining the crew! Also, I hope I helped clear a little confusion regarding why Aila was running around without her helmet and wasn't fazed by it. Hit me with some reviews, y'all!


	24. Chapter 23

A/N: Okay... so having wisdom teeth removed should be considered a form of torture in the Geneva convention. The actual removal was alright, it's the horse-sized needle they apparently need to numb your gums and cheek along with not being able to eat normal food for a week. Anyway, more story. If this one seems a little... off... remember that I wrote alot of it while under the influence of 3 different pain meds and chocolate pudding.

* * *

"Duuun dun..."

Aila froze as she exited the elevator, her head snapping around frantically, "...Kassi...?"

"Duuun dun..."

"I swear, you jump on me and I'm going to give you a bruise that'll take a week to go away." Aila crossed her arms, still searching for the source of the humming.

"Dun dun dun dun dun dun daaa daaaaa!"

Aila whirled just as Kasumi's cloak disengaged, letting out a loud yelp as she was knocked off her feet and onto the floor. Kasumi laughed and pinned Aila's arms beneath her legs, tickling her captive's nose, "It's just my way of saying hello to my favorite Alliekat, I don't see the big deal!"

She squeaked slightly as Aila bucked, causing her to lose her balance just long enough for Aila to escape and jump onto her back, "If this is how you say hello to someone you care about, you're going to be single for the rest of your life!" She got in a few light swats before jumping off, laughing and panting slightly.

Kasumi sat up and rubbed her chin, "I don't know. Some people like it a little rough, ya know?" Aila rolled her eyes and helped her friend up. "Besides. If I got married, then I'd have kids. Which means there would be multiple mini-Goto's running around the galaxy."

Aila pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, "Oh the chaos that would ensue! The galaxies museums would be emptied in the span of a week! Entire planets stripped of valuables!"

Kasumi laughed and wrapped an arm around Aila's shoulder, leaning their heads together and gesturing with a sweeping hand, "Imagine if you will: a team of the best thieves the galaxy had ever seen, all under my command!" She emphasized this point by making a fist and pumping it slightly, "The black-mail, the protection accounts. With a team like that I could be queen of the galaxy!" She threw her head back and did her best maniacal laughter.

She paused and winked at Aila, "Don't worry, I won't forget about you. A queen needs her jester after-all."

"Why thank you, your Majes-" She paused and stomped her foot in indignation, "Jester!"

"Oh look at the time, gotta go!" Kasumi waved cheekily before disappearing, leaving an irritated Aila all alone.

"Bratty little..." Mumbling under her breath, Aila spun and rounded the elevator, not noticing that she was heading towards the wrong door. She activated her omni-tool, scrolling idly through the messages she missed over the past few hours and tried opening the door, blinking in surprise when it turned out to be locked.

"Odd." She briefly speculated on why the medical-bay's door would be locked, then swiftly bypassed the lock, causing the door to slide open, "Child's play. Hey doc, you really should-" her words cut off abruptly; the room she had entered was obviously someone's quarters, as it had chairs, a desk and a bed. The room, however, wasn't what caught her attention. Rather, it was the sight of Miranda and Ashley, surrounded by more empty bottles than she cared to count, snuggling under the bed covers.

"Wow. Someone had fun last night." Aila pulled out her knife and cautiously lifted a pair of discarded panties, raising an eyebrow and smirking, "Oh ho, ho... this is too perfect to pass up." She flicked them off onto the desk and activated her omni-tool, snapping a few pictures of the ladies, the room and the various discarded garments before spinning on her toes and skipping out, scrolling through her newly-aquired pictures and giggling quietly to herself.

She quickly crossed the deck, waving cheerfully at the ever-present Gardner, and swept into the medical-bay.

Doctor Chakwas spun around in her chair, smiling slightly, "Aila. What brings you to my bay?"

Aila held up her hands and smiled, "Don't worry. No arterial bleeding or strange rashes for me today, I'm just here to see Legion."

The doctor nodded and gestured towards the door in the back of the room before turning back to her console. As the door slid open, Aila felt her spines stand up on her neck and head at the sight of Legion. Although her instincts were telling her to both run and unload her pistol at the same time, she willed herself to step forward.

The geth's eye flashed on and it looked directly at her; "Creator-Aila'Gerrel."

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck join her spines and she swallowed the lump in her throat; "Geth... Legion. I'm here..." she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the same odd warmth she felt after Sha'ira left in the back of her head, "I'm here to offer you a position as a crew-member on my ship."

Legion's head-flaps cycled a few times before it answered; "This platform accepts Gerrel-Commander's offer."

Aila's head tilted slightly, "You called me "Gerrel-Commander" this time. Why?"

"Before, Gerrel-Commander was merely another Creator this platform interacted with. "Creator-Aila'Gerrel" was an accurate designation. This platform is now under your command, "Gerrel-Commander" is now the proper designation." If geth had emotions, Aila could've sworn Legion's tone was mildly condescending.

"Legion. Before I let you on my ship, I need to make sure I'm making the right decision." Legion's flaps cycled once. "I'll take that as an 'okay'. Look, for the past 300 years, any interaction between our people resulted in the exchange of weapons fire and, in many cases, the death of at least one of the two parties. Why the change of heart?"

"During previous encounters, the geth platforms either acted defensively or in a pre-emptive manner. Encounters with the Creator's carried a 98.47% chance of being attacked."

"But if you were simply acting defensively, why would your kind destroy a ship that had been disabled?" Aila's voice went up slightly.

"Instances of destruction of a disabled Creator vessel only occurred when the consensus was that allowing the Creators to live would result in more blood-shed, in the form of a counter-attack by the rescue fleet or in retaliation."

Aila ground her teeth, "So you would murder defenseless quarians based completely on what "might" happen?"

"Geth do not act on assumptions. All actions are the result of logical probability." Legion stated simply.

Aila crossed her arms and glared at him, "So am I going to have to worry about being shot in the back if my actions carry a high probability of causing harm?"

Legion paused for a moment, flaps extending and retracting a few times; "Yes."

There was silence for a few moments as they stared each other down. Aila finally shrugged and threw her arms into the air, "Well... at least I know where we stand." She ran her hands through her short hair and sighed, "Well...come on. Now I get to convince my crew that this is a good idea."

Legion inclined his head slightly but said nothing and followed her out of the room.

* * *

As they exited the elevator, Kelly spun and waved at Aila, "Allie! The captain wants to see you. Hes in the briefing room."

"Any idea what he wants?" Aila inquired, giving Kelly a quick hug.

Kelly shrugged and shook her head, "No clue at all, going to have to ask him yourself."

Nodding slightly, Aila made for the research lab with Legion close behind. As she passed through the lab she waved at Mordin, who was singing to himself and completely oblivious to anyone else in the room. Aila paused and listened for a brief moment, stifling a laugh and pretending to dance along with his song. Legion's head merely tilted slightly, head-flaps cycling a few times, and giving the appearance of confusion. Aila clicked her tongue and walked through the door, muttering in a stage-whisper; "Oh... program a sense of humor."

As they entered the briefing room, Aila surveyed the occupants; Shepard, Garrus, Tali, a featureless holographic silhouette and, surprisingly, the entire Council. Shepard turned and waved Aila in, his face conveying a level of seriousness Aila had yet to see from him.

"Ah, Aila. Good." He picked up a data-pad, handing it to her and clearing his throat, "We caught a break. We think we've discovered how our mysterious friend is monitoring our communications network, thanks to an acquaintance of mine."

He gestured to the silhouette, who spoke in a heavily distorted voice, "There is a... 'back door' if you will in the communications network. The network relies on what is assumed to be Prothean technology. Whether the technology is actually Reaper in origin, or they merely added the access code later is unimportant. What is important is that I was able to narrow down the location of the coding. I believe Captain Shepard's AI did the rest."

EDI's sphere appeared next to the silhouette, "The code in question lies in lines 3,201,324 through 3,201,327. The miniscule amount of hostile coding explains why no one has picked up on the 'back door' through regular analysis. The hostile coding allows the holder of a master key to access any and all data passed through the system, regardless of security levels."

The silhouette continued, "Once they accessed the data, it would be a simple matter of decrypting the messages. Even our best cryptography is no match for a Reaper's processing capability."

Aila nodded, setting the data-pad down and crossing her arms, "So we're going to remove the bad code and leave them in the dark?"

"Not exactly." She turned her attention to Councilor Anderson, "Shepard plans on using this back door against the agent targeting Spectres. Captain."

Shepard quickly brought up a small-scale galaxy map, zooming in on an unimportant cluster in the Terminus Systems, "The Council will send a message through the standard communications channel ordering me to investigate suspicious activity in the Shrike Abyssal system. We're hoping our friend won't be able to pass up the chance to get at me alone and away from the various council fleets. This is where you come in. Your ship, along with the SSV Ain Jalut, will be waiting in the system prior to the transmission and my arrival. The plan is to get the jump on this bastard and take him out while we have the element of surprise."

Aila's head tilted slightly, "It's a good plan, but I have to ask: Why are we bringing the Ain Jalut along? You remember the energy weapon this guy had on his ship, it blew the Adami out of the sky without even breaking a sweat. The Normandy has the fancy upgrades from your spat with the Collectors, and Eva has managed to increase the Illusion's shield and barrier efficiency, but the Jalut just has your standard-issue shielding and armor."

"The Jalut's shielding has been upgraded recently." Anderson clarified, "Using data gained from analysis of Sovereign's wreckage and the Collector base, we've been able to modify our existing shield generators to better resist the type of weaponry used by the Reapers. It isn't anything too drastic, but it should be enough to let her weather a few hits."

"Alright. Lure him into a trap, spring the trap, make confetti with whats left of him. Sounds like a simple enough plan." She shot a pointed glance at the Turian councilor, "That is, so long as everyone is okay with me leaving the Citadel."

The Councilor glared back, "Don't look too deeply into this. The only reason you're being allowed to leave is because your ship is uniquely suited for this mission. The second it's over, you are to return to the Citadel, pending a full review of your AI and your 'command' of the Illusion."

"Awww, you just can't get enough of pretty face." Aila fluttered her eyelashes curtsied, then narrowed her eyes threateningly, "I'm flattered."

"Aila." Tsarina fought to keep her smile under control while Garrus coughed into his hand a few times, "We'll deal with the matter of the ship and everything after the crisis is averted." She looked at Triax pointedly, "And not a moment before. Good luck on your mission. All of you." With that, the Council made their exit.

"I will continue to monitor all of my sources. If anything further comes up, you will be the first to know. All the pertinent data has already been uploaded to the Illusion." The silhouette bowed slightly and disappeared.

Shepard lifted his data-pad, "The Jalut will be in-system in a few hours. Aila, get the Illusion there as fast as possible. I'm anxious for some payback." He looked up and sighed, "Has anyone seen Miranda anywhere? We need to get the Normandy ready for action."

Aila snickered briefly, covering it with a cough and shrugging innocently, "No idea where she is. Might want to ask Ashley."

Her comment drew a confused glance from everyone present. Tali chuckled slightly, "Those two were off to have a drinking competition last night, remember John?"

"Yeah... now I do..." Shepard sighed, "Alright. Garrus, grab Jacob and track those two down. Tell Chakwas we're going to have two cases of severe shore-leave, she'll know what to do. Aila, you had better get to the Illusion and head out." As Aila turned to leave, Shepard caught her attention, "Aila! One more thing; be careful. This may not be a full-fledged Reaper, but he's still extremely dangerous."

Aila nodded and motioned for Legion to follow, briskly jogging to the airlock and skillfully side-stepping the various crew-members and tapping on her omni-tool. Before exiting she skidded to a halt behind Joker, "Joker! Check your messages, I gave you a present."

She paused a quick moment, just long enough to watch his eyeballs snap open in disbelief, then continued on her way to the Illusion, giggling to herself and a slightly confused Legion following close behind.

* * *

A/N: Alright, we're approaching the end-portion of this fiction. Be forewarned, the tone is going to take a turn for the less-than-cheerful for the next few chapters.


	25. Chapter 24

A/N: Hooo baby, this semester is turning into a doozy! Luckily I have the events following this encounter planned out and written down, so I just need to write the actual chapters (sounds easy, eh?). And to anyone who watches NFL: Go Steelers!

* * *

Aila paced back and forth on the walkway leading to the airlock, talking under her breath and pausing every so often to strike a speech giving pose, only to sigh and resume pacing. Legion stood near the door, his servo's buzzing as his optical port followed her pacing, head flaps cycling periodically various run-times ran calculations and achieved consensus.

"Gerrel Captain. May this platform make a query?" Aila jumped slightly, twirling with a slightly bemused look on her face, an indicator that she had completely forgotten he was there.

"Uh. Go ahead, Legion. What's on your mind?"

Legion's head tilted slightly in confusion as he processed the term she had used, quickly returning to it's normal orientation as he spoke, "It is apparent that Gerrel-Commander is facing difficulties in choosing the proper communication while informing her crew that this unit is joining. The consensus has been achieved that Gerrel-Commander's crew will accept her decision in this matter with a 76.94% chance of concern, but a 1.46% chance of mutiny."

Aila looked slightly confused for a moment, mentally translating what Legion had just said from machine to organic, then laughed nervously and ran her hand over her head, "It's that 1.46% that I'm worried about. I mean, even I'm not completely sold on the idea of having a geth on board, but... I get the feeling the sooner this happens, the sooner things get better for everyone. It's just... hard... I've already subjected them to an alien A.I and now I'm bringing a geth?" She leaned back against the railing and hung her head slightly, "I should barely be eligible for first sergeant duties... not running an entire ship and making galaxy-changing decisions..."

The platform was silent, save for the humming of the bay's machinery and the buzzing of Legion's flaps, "This platform was intended to serve purely in reconnaissance duties, but has been utilized as a front-line combat and ambassadorial platform for the last 20,527,123 cycles."

She looked up, a disbelieving smile tugging at the corners of her lips, "Legion... did you just try to sympathize with me?"

"Yes." Legion's matter of fact statement caught Aila by surprise, "During this platform's time on the Normandy, it has observed many interactions between various organic races. A constant variable has been the act of comparing similar circumstances in an attempt to convey a commonality and encourage the individual experiencing difficulties." He paused for a moment, the lights on his head adopting a slightly greenish tinge, "This platform was attempting to communicate the fact that it has been forced to operate in a manner for which it was not designed. Similarly, Gerrel-Commander is being forced to perform duties she has not yet been designed for."

Something in Legion's last sentence caught her attention, "You said "not yet designed"... why?"

"Organic races posses the unique ability to change their function." Legion thought for a moment, "Creator-Tali'Zorah was originally designed for repairs and combat support duties, however she has since added ambassadorial duties. Anderson-Councilor was a combat unit, then became a command unit and is now a procedural unit. Geth are not able to change what they were built for. This ability is one aspect we seek knowledge about."

Aila processed what Legion said for a moment, then started laughing, "I'm getting sound advice from a geth? Keelah above, what have I come to?" she rubbed her face with her hands, still giggling slightly, "So what you're saying is that I might not be the commander the Illusion needs, but I can be?"

"Yes."

She groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Why can't anyone give me something other than "You've got it in you to be great, just follow your heart"? Just once I'd like to have someone say "Oh, here ya go, "Difficult command decisions made easy, 2nd edition!" and be done with it?"

Legion's flaps adopted what can best be described as a perplexed expression, "This unit has no record of such a text existing."

"It doesn't, Legion." Aila sighed, "It's just... everyone is telling me to follow my instincts, but... those will only get me so far. I don't have the experience needed to develop said instincts, right now I'm just going with what seems right."

His response was immediate, "The logical solution would be for Gerrel-Commander to seek those who do possess such experience."

"I would." Aila looked slightly mournful, "If I had anyone I could turn to. My mother is... gone... my father has to put his duties as an admiral first... my previous captain and crew..." she shuddered slightly, "The crew I served with on the Hudson have moved on, Shepard and Tali have more than enough on their plate already... I just don't know what to do."

"Observations of organic species and their societal habits indicated that an organic's offspring always take precedence over everything else. This pattern is observed in even undeveloped life forms."

Aila smiled and resisted the urge to pat Legion on the shoulder, "You know. You might want to add "psychiatrist" to the list of things this platform has performed." She stretched her neck and took a deep breath, "Alright. Here we go, cross your fingers."

"The act of crossing extremities does not change the outcome of a sit-..." His flaps froze then lowered slightly, "Another organic "term of phrase" meant to convey nervousness and a belief that others can increase the probability of a favorable outcome."

"Wow. When you put it that way, it sounds mildly depressing..." Aila's head had tilted slightly a half smile playing across her lips, "In the future, once you realize the meaning behind one of our "terms of phrases", keep it to yourself."

They entered the ship and made their way down the hallway towards the holo-map area, where the crew was milling about, splintering off into their respective work-groups as often happens when a full-ship meeting is called. Regala was having an animated conversation with Jato, probably centering on his continued refusal to become a medic. Aila smirked slightly, musing on the odds of finding a krogan who actively avoided any situation where a fight could result. As she approached the group, the talking subsided, instead being replaced with gasps and a few nervous remarks as the assembled group laid eyes on Legion.

"What in Keelah's name is that thing doing here?" Reegor's voice cut through the crowd, followed closely by the sound of unpacking weapons. The crowd shifted out of the way, letting Reegor and the marines to move forward.

Regala approached quickly, pushing Reegor's weapon to the ground and addressing the assembled marines, "Stand down. That's an order."

Another wave of shocked murmuring rippled through the crew, the marines glancing around uncertainly, their weapons wavering.

Aila pushed Kal aside and jogged up to the commander's podium, "Weapons away. Now." That seemed to do the trick, as the marines slowly lowered and, for the most part, stowed their weapons. She noticed Reegor and his assistant kept their rifles in hand.

She turned her attention back to the rest of the crew, motioning for Legion to join her at the podium. She held up her hands to silence the hushed conversations that were filling the room, "Everyone. Quiet please. I have something important and... delicate to inform you of."

Glancing quickly to Regala and receiving a reassuring nod, she cleared her throat and continued, "First off, I want to state the obvious: our ship... this crew... we're on the front-line, as it were, of a new era for the Quarian people. It's been over 300 years since a non-human served on a Quarian military vessel, and even longer since a Quarian vessel actively operated in support of the Citadel Council. What we do right now, the legacy this ship leaves, could have a lasting impact in how all of our races interact with each other."

Pausing for a moment, she collected her thoughts, electing to take the blunt route and just say what needed to be said, "I'm sure you've all noticed the geth standing behind me... his name is Legion. And as of right now, he is the newest member of the Illusion's crew."

Aila braced herself for the ensuing uproar, but was caught off guard when only one individual spoke up, "You can't be serious, Ma'am!" Kal walked towards the lecturn, pointing an accusational finger at her, "Those metal bosh'tets have the blood of thousands on their hands! They are the reason our people have been treated like worthless vagrants for the past 300 years!" Aila could see him shaking with rage, "After all that, after everything his kind have put us through, you want us to work with him? I will never work with a geth!"

A few murmurs of agreement, mainly in the quarian crew-members, only added to the tension in the room. Aila let them die off before responding, "I haven't forgotten, Kal. The old ways have served our kind well so far, but as is the case with everything... the old ways need to change." Her hand shot up to cut off his retort, "Kal, I don't know why the geth attacked us. I know what we're told, but the elders have been wrong before. Our people are dying, Kal... and while that happens, our race focuses on finding a magical weapon that'll let us re-conquer Rannoch. That is a battle we will never win, Kal. You know this, you've seen what the geth are capable of. They are smarter, more numerous and more effective in combat than any race, especially ours! What is a 100 year old former turian cruiser going to do against a 10 year old geth dreadnaught, Kal? We can barely keep our live-ships from venting everyone inside into space, how in Keelah's name are we going to assemble a fleet that can stand toe-to-toe with the geth? We need to move on. We need to admit defeat, before it's too late for our race."

The mood was somber as everyone pondered what Aila had just said, even the non-quarian crew members seemed to be contemplating her words. Kal clasped his hands behind his back, standing up straight, "Ma'am, I'm not going to stand here and pretend I agree with this decision... but it's not my place to confront you about this. If you truly think having that damned thing is so important, go ahead. But I promise you, if I have to choose between putting your pet down and saving so much as a Vorcha, I won't hesitate."

The murmurs and bits of conversation Aila could overhear indicated that most of the crew felt the same way: They hated it, but they'd go along with it for the time being. Sensing that the meeting was over, Regala promptly dismissed them, majority of the group finding some reason or other to get as far away from the geth as possible. Only Carti remained behind, her body-language as unreadable as always.

Aila's eyebrow quirked slightly, "Have something further to say, Dr. Noria?"

"Only a word of caution: whether or not this is the right course of action, the current leaders are not going to see things with the open mind you do." Her body barely moved as she spoke, her tone conveying worry without a hint of disapproval.

"I..." Aila paused and looked at her hands, wringing them slightly and sighed, "I know." She made a fist and looked up, her eyes narrowing, "And I don't care. They're stuck in the past. Someone has to take the first step, or we'll never survive. I know they're going to loathe this, but they have to be smart enough to realize when an opportunity presents itself, regardless of how... distasteful the opportunity is."

Carti nodded and glided over, laying a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it slightly, "You've got your mother's tenacity, Aila."

"You knew my mother?" Aila spun slightly, her eyes filling with curiosity and anticipation.

"To an extent. We both went through our preparation for our pilgrimage together. She was my partner during the first half and we bumped into each other once during the pilgrimage. Even as a teenager, she caused trouble and would've argued with our instructors until the ship fell apart around us if they had let her." Carti laughed slightly, then shook her head, "I think it was that attitude; her unwavering stance on whatever issue she was faced with... I think that's why she was targeted." She stood up straight and looked Aila right in the eye, "People don't like to be proven wrong. Sometimes they find it's easier to attack an individual, rather than their argument. Don't waiver from your beliefs, but be careful."

Eva's voice cut off any reply from Aila, "Commander? We're in transit. The Ain Jalut is almost in position and the Normandy will be following shortly. ETA 2 hours."

"Understood Eva, thanks." She nodded a quick farewell to Carti and jogged to the cockpit, settling into the seat to the left of Veetor, Reg settling into the one on the right. Aila triggered the ship-wide intercom and cleared her throat, "Crew. We've entered FTL drive and will be in the target system within 2 hours. I suggest you take this time to catch some sleep and prepare yourselves as we'll be going to combat-readiness the instant we arrive. We're most likely only going to get one shot at this, let's make it count. Lieutenant-Commander Gerrel out."

She turned to Eva's hologram and tilted her head, "Eva... this ship we're up against, presumably, has the same sensors that the Collector ship did, right? I thought the collector vessel was able to detect the original Normandy, won't this one see us and the Jalut as well?"

Shaking her head slightly, Eva continued to manipulate various projections in front of her, "This is, from the data I've seen, a scouting vessel. The systems needed to detect one of your ships would be massive, even with our level of technology. It'd be impractical to put it on a ship of this size."

Aila nodded and stared out the window at the blue hue of FTL travel, "Let's hope so. Otherwise this trap is going to be a disaster."

* * *

"Heat-sinks at 70% capacity, Aila. Normandy's estimated ETA-" the flash of a decelerating ship appeared directly ahead of the Illusion, causing Eva to pause a moment, "Uh... right now."

Aila could feel the tension on the bridge raise; the 'bait' was in place... now all they needed was the target to trigger the trap. The seconds ticked by, Aila's heartbeat filling her ears and causing her vision to pulse slightly. She looked at the digital display on her console;

One minute...

Two minutes...

Three minutes...

She checked all of the Illusion's systems for the hundredth time, once again getting 100% operational status from the primary, secondary and tertiary systems. Four minutes...

Five minutes...

The red flash caused Aila to yelp and jump in her seat, her eyes quickly focusing on the beam as it slammed into the Normandy's barriers, causing them to glow an angry blue and hold off the onslaught. The Normandy spun and lashed out with her Thainx Cannon, a faint red glow indicating she had at least grazed her target.

Her display beeped and a red bug appeared on her display, opposite the Normandy from her. She grinned tensely; _there you are, you bosh'tet... _

The Normandy and her target continued to dance, blue and red beams arcing across the black void to graze and flirt with the barriers. As the enemy ship closed in, her display beeped again, indicating the Jalut had dropped out of silent running and joined into the fray, her mass-effect cannons unloading on the target and catching the enemy off guard.

Aila snapped her fingers, "Eva! Are you familiar with that ship? Any weak spots we can take advantage of?"

"It's... familiar..." Eva mumbled, "But... 'familiar' in the sense 'it looks like a scouting ship'. The last time I saw a ship like that was a few million years ago, Aila. The odds of that ship having anything even remotely similar to what they had when I flew them is, well, pretty near impossible."

"I know it's the longest shot in the history of long shots, but try. " Aila begged, "Why would they bother changing anything, they were already 'the pinnacle of perfection' in their minds?"

"Hmmm..." Eva's hologram appeared, one hand raised and levitating a wire-frame which she manipulated with her free hand, "Assuming it's still what I think it is..." she double-tapped a point in the center of the triangular hull, zooming in and revealing a small cylinder attached to the hull, "This is the shield projector. Our shields operated in such a manner that the projectors on smaller ships were usually unprotected or, in later designs, had a weak layer over them. Our tactics at the time would've kept the projector facing away from the battle, hence not bothering to protect it as much." She shrugged, "Like you said, it's a long shot. Even the lowest ranking member of our military knew this was an exploitable weakness."

Aila uploaded the data to the Jalut and Normandy, shaking her head slightly, "Long shots sometimes pan out, couldn't be worse than targeting any other part." She watched her screen and saw the Jalut and Normandy adjust their trajectories, forcing the enemy ship to turn it's back on the Illusion. The vessel, as predicted, rotated it's dorsal section towards the assaulting ships, exposing it's vulnerable ventral section to the hiding Illusion.

Aila felt the ship shake and shudder, sub-light engines flashing it life and the heat-sinks venting their contents into the cold of space. As Veetor broke silent running, Reg was sending the first slugs downrange from the Illusion's twin mass cannons. The enemy vessel attempted to maneuver, but was unable to avoid the first pair of rounds which slammed into it's vulnerable spot. As the ship rotated, it inadvertently exposed itself to the Normandy and her powerful cannon, the blue arc of molted plasma colliding with, then punching through the weak shielding over the projector.

"Shields are down!" Eva reported, blipping out of existence.

Two rounds for the Jalut found the ships sub-light engines, rendering the vessel helpless and drifting, it's maneuvering thrusters firing wildly in an attempt to bring it's primary weapon to bare on any of the three ships, but was unable to match their maneuverability

Aila punched the air, "Huzzah!" she spun to Regala, still staring intently at the helpless ship, "Okay, prepare the squad. I'm sure Shepard is going to want to board thi-"

Her order was cut short by a blinding flash, followed by slight shudders as debris impacted the ship's barriers. She blinked a few times, clearing the blueish imprint from her vision.

Eva's avatar re-appeared, looking somewhat "He activated his self destruct system. Must have known he was defeated and didn't want us to finish mining his data-banks."

"You were mining the data-banks?" Aila was still blinking, trying to regain her vision and leaning against Veetor's chair.

Eva shook her head, "EDI did the data-mining I was... otherwise occupied keeping his defense systems at bay. And..." she paused, an expression that mixed worry and concern on her features, "There was something else... I'm not sure, but I felt-"

"Normandy to Illusion, this is Captain Shepard." Eva blinked and shook her head quickly, gesturing for Aila to answer.

"Captain Shepard? Looks like we got the bosh'tet. How does it feel not being hunted anymore?" Aila joked, having finally cleared her eyesight.

Shepard laughed, "I'm still hunted, but at least now it's just batarians and Cerberus. EDI said she managed to get some data form the ship before he threw in the towel, hopefully she gets something useful."

"I haven't finished fully analyzing the data, but I did find something you should be aware of Captain." EDI's always calm voice replaced Shepard's, "I am patching the Jalut into this conversation as well. While analyzing the data, I came across a record of the ship's travels. While most of the data is corrupted, I was able to determine it's origin point. Specifically, this ship did not come here from dark-space."

"That's understandable." Shepard mused, "Probably a scouting vessel that was left here after the Protheans to monitor the galaxy. It could've been this ship that finally awakened Sovereign for all we know."

"That is partially correct. This ship was left here, but not alone." EDI continued, "Shepard, if my analysis is correct... this ship originated from a mother-ship. There is another Reaper in our galaxy."

* * *

A/N: To quote iRobot: "Aw hell naw." That's right folks, there's another of those big insectoid bastards chillin in our galaxy. Luckily, Shepard's kicked Reaper ass twice before, so he's got it more or less down to an art form.


	26. Chapter 25

A/N: It's been quiet on the comment front lately, I hope y'all are still reading and enjoying. This chapter, hopefully, addresses some of the questions regarding why Aila was so willing to ditch her helmet as soon as she could, as well as giving us a much overdue tender moment between Aila and Regala. If you like it, let me know! If not, lemme know why!

* * *

The mood within the Normandy's briefing room was somber as everyone dealt with EDI's findings. Well... almost everyone... Ashley and Miranda were displaying the tell-tale signs of a hangover and were most likely focusing on staying mostly coherent. Aila expected any number of outbursts to break the heavy silence, but was caught completely off guard as Grunt began to chuckle, eventually escalating into a room-shaking laugh.

Shepard was just as bewildered as she was, apparently, and shot a curious glance at Tali before clearing his throat, "Something you want to let us in on, Grunt?"

Grunt's voice still shook with amusement as he clapped Garrus on the shoulder, "Twice they've tried to attack the galaxy, getting their tails kicked both times. Even varren are smart enough to not stick their tails where it hurts."

Tali raised her hand, "While I'm tempted to agree with you, Grunt, this isn't anything like the last two times. The first time, we had an entire fleet backing us up against Sovereign. And while we didn't have a fleet the second time, we weren't fighting a Reaper; just genetically altered protheans."

"We didn't have either EDI or Eva last time, Tali." Shepard looked at Aila, "She was the one who exposed that scout ship's weakness, does she have anything on the dreadnaughts?"

Before Aila could answer, EDI's orb flashed and was replaced by Eva's avatar, holding a scale version of a ship, "Before you ask, EDI is letting me use a communications channel. I'm not actually in the Normandy's systems." She held the model up and let go, causing it to float and spin slowly, "This... is holographic model constructed using the blueprints and data within my systems. With the exception of the control vessel, all ships were built exactly like this." She pushed the model aside and snapped her fingers, causing another model to appear, this one looking exactly like a Reaper, "And this, based on what data I could find, is what a Reaper looks like today. As you can see, they've added these appendages here, re-adjusted the flight trajectory, and added an outer shell." As she spoke, the Reaper model dis-assembled, until it looked exactly like the first one.

She shrugged, "The point I'm trying to make is that we got lucky with the scout ship. These Reapers, their configuration is... well, it's basically a whole new ship." She waved her hand and the models disappeared, a scrolling line of code replacing them, "Now, before you get all depressed on me, all is not yet lost. The coding that serves as the base for their AI and is present in everything not organic is familiar. I managed to grab snippets here and there as I was battling the scout's defenses and merged it with the Reaper-specific coding within EDI's program."

Eva winced slightly and glanced at Shepard, "Okay, so I might've lied about not being in the Normandy's systems, but I swear I didn't change anything." The only sound in the room was Aila's forehead slapping into her hand. Eva laughed nervously and held up a finger, "Okay, before you deactivate me, let me finish. This coding here..." she selected various lines and segments of code, dragging them off the scrolling portion and causing them to float in mid-air, "are more or less exactly what we, in some cases I, programmed into the ship all those years ago. This means that, while the ship is different, the actual technology hasn't advanced very far at all. Right now, I'm downloading what I was able to transfer from my station regarding the Reapers to EDI's storage. Hopefully there will be something of value in there."

She waved and disappeared, EDI's orb replacing her shape, "I have begun sorting through the data from the Illusion. And no Shepard, Eva didn't change anything or install anything in my coding. She accessed everything in read-only mode."

Shepard nodded and leaned forward on the table, choosing his words carefully, "The council, most likely, won't want to act on this data. Not only would it inconvenience them, but the Reaper's location is going to make getting help period tricky." He brought up the galaxy map and pointed to a flashing dot on the edge of the galaxy.

"That's deep in geth territory..." Reg leaned in, narrowing her eyes, "Actually... it's completely on the other side. I've only heard stories about the edge of the galaxy, legend says that only one exploration vessel actually returned from that space. When it did the crew was... changed..."

Miranda leaned heavily on the wall, rubbing her forehead and wincing, "Changed? How so?"

Regala shrugged and stood up, "Some stories say they were schizophrenic and talked gibberish. Others, that they were hollow shells devoid of any soul. One or two tales have them coming back as psychotic animals. Regardless, one of the oldest laws in our books strictly prohibit activating the Ten'Hula Relay."

"'Ten'Hula' is literally translated as 'Forsaken'" Tali clarified, "I don't think it's even in our star charts anymore, that entire system was ruled off-limits."

"So... is it like the Omega 4 relay? You need the IFF to get through?" Garrus was trying, and failing, to hide his confusion.

Tali shook her head, "No. It's a standard relay, just like the ones we use every day. The problem isn't the relay, rather what's on the other side."

"The Ten'Hula relay has not been activated since the war with the Creators." Legion commented, "Consensus was achieved that accessing the relay would not produce anything of value. The creator's fear regarding the relay was also taken into consideration in the decision."

"Legion. Do the geth-"

"Co-ordinates have already been downloaded to this platform." Legion interrupted, "Transfer to EDI in progress."

"Even the toaster is cutting you." Jack laughed, "Losing your touch, o fearless leader?"

Legion looked slightly confused, "Observation of organic habits, specifically those of Lawson and Zorah'Ambassador, indicate that interruption of others is acceptable in times such as these."

Everyone jumped slightly as Shepard's fist slammed into the table, "Enough! I am the captain here, and everyone will treat me with the respect that position deserves. That includes you Tali. We have a Reaper in our galaxy, our focus should be on that and NOT on disrespecting me. Am I clear?" He didn't bother waiting for acknowledgment before barking out orders, "EDI, make contact with the council. Aila, get back to the Illusion and stand by. And this time, keep a leash on your digital pet. Finally, Miranda, Ashley? Get your asses down to Dr. Chakwas and tell her I need both of you fit for duty by tomorrow."

"Captain Shepard."

"This had better be good, EDI."

"We are receiving a transmission from Noverian Executive Board. Shall I put them through?"

Ashley and Tali exchanged curious glances, then both turned to stare at Shepard.

"This should be... interesting." Shepard muttered, "Okay EDI, patch them through."

Her hologram vanished and was replaced by five smartly-dressed individuals; two asari, a human, two salarians and a turian. The human spoke first, "Captain Shepard. My name is Travis Licomber. On behalf of the Executive Board, I would like to extend an invitation to meet the board face-to-face. Docking fees will be waived, of course."

Shepard leaned back, crossing his arms and adopting an expressionless face, "I thought the board hated Spectres. Why the invitation?"

"We do not hate Spectres. What we hate is their operation outside the law. Noveria is a safe-haven for companies to perform research the short-sighted politicians on the Citadel seem to think shouldn't take place."

"Like genetically producing Rachni? That was a winner." Ashley's snarky remark drew an amused glance from Miranda.

"The Peak 15 incident was regrettable, and violated the Board's mandate regarding genetic experiments. Binary Helix has been appropriately fined, I assure you. Shepard, we are extending the invitation for one simple reason; one of our share-holders has relayed data to us regarding Saren, the Citadel attack and your part in both. Additionally, the data contains some... worrying implications. Implications we would be remiss to ignore."

"So you're saying you believe in the Reaper threat and are willing to help me?" Shepard looked incredulous.

Travis smiled slightly, "Captain. The board exists to protect our clients interests from any and all threats. This mandate demands that we treat all threats, regardless of their probability, the same. Whether or not we believe what you say doesn't matter; we are obligated to lend whatever assistance we deem necessary. Additionally, your actions in the past have benefited Noveria greatly and saved our planet from some terrible PR debacles. Our star internal affairs agent, Ms. Parasini, has spoken very highly of you in both of her reports."

"Okay, you've caught my attention. I'll make my way to Noveria as soon as I can. But I do have two conditions." Shepard held up two fingers, "First, I need a second docking berth for another ship. Second, I want to meet this share-holder that forwarded that information to you."

The board engaged in a brief discussion, before Travis cleared his throat, "The first one is granted, we will reserve a second bay. As for the second demand, we cannot expose our share-holders without their permission. We will have to contact the individual and go from there."

"Alright. I'm intrigued enough to pay you a visit." Shepard decided, indicating to Aila and Regala that they should head back to the Illusion. Aila quickly saluted and shoved Reg out of the room, setting a quick pace back to the docking bay.

As they reached the elevator, Reg gave Aila a curious glance, "Why the hurry to leave, Aila?"

"Did you see how angry he was just now? I want to get off this ship as soon as possible!" Aila giggled, dragging Reg out of the elevator and to their waiting shuttle, "Plus, aren't you looking forward to visiting Noveria? I hear it's lovely this time of year."

Reg scoffed and settled into the pilots seat, "Yeah... I can see it in a brochure 'Be sure to visit beautiful Noveria during the summer month, when the temperature can reach a balmy positive centigrade during the peak noon hour!' They'd have tourists everywhere..."

"Aila? Can I voice a complaint?" Eva's holographic image was waiting as the door to the captain's quarters slid open, looking mildly annoyed.

Reg snorted, "If she says 'no', will it stop you?"

"Do you know how bad an idea this is?" If Eva heard Reg's remark, she ignored it, "Noveria, from what I can gather, has a reputation for putting profits above everything else, and they're outside anyone's jurisdiction. Not the best place for a fully-conscious AI and two quarian's with nano-tech in their veins to visit, don't you think?"

Aila threw herself onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling, "Two reasons why I'm not overly worried: first, we're going there with Shepard. Noveria might be outside the council's jurisdiction, but not to the extent that they'd cross a Spectre. Secondly, unless someone tells them about either you or us, I don't really see how they can find out. Reg and I will wear our helmets the whole time and you can act like a standard VI."

Eva raised an eyebrow, "And if they run invasive scans?"

Propping herself up on her elbow, Aila smirked at Eva, "What. Are you saying you can't out-smart our technology?"

"Hah. I could make them think this ship is running on steam power if I wanted to." Eva laughed, "I was referring to you. The nanites are extremely hard to detect, but not impossible. Even for this galaxies level of technology. Standard body-scanners won't pick up anything, but advanced medical ones will."

Reg finished stowing her gear and jumped onto the bed next to Aila, "We'd have to consent to a medical examination in order for that to happen, Eva. Even the most paranoid security measures wouldn't justify a scan of that... nature... what are you doing?" she jerked her head away from Aila, who was tugging on her face-mask.

"What? I'm taking your helmet off." She smiled sweetly, tapping Reg's mask with her thumb. "I know it's tradition and all, but why do you still wear this?"

The helmet hissed as Reg snapped it off, running her hand through her short hair and shuddering slightly, "Aila, our kind has worn these helmets for over 300 years. I've worn it for 24 myself. I can't just stop like that." she snapped her fingers and shook her head slightly, "It's just... weird. I can't help but shake the feeling I'm flirting with disaster by taking it off."

Aila slid her gloves off and ran her fingers over Reg's skin, causing the older quarian to shudder and close her eyes slightly. Aila giggled and kissed her nose, "I know that feeling. I still get flutters when I think about it too much, but... those helmets... I always felt like they held us back. Like the other species didn't trust us because they couldn't see our faces, read our expressions. Almost like, no matter what we tried, we'd always be untrusted purely because of the suits. Thats why I ditched the helmet as soon as I could, I wanted to fit in. To start on even ground with humans and turians, rather than have to work just to reach a neutral opinion."

She blinked and sat up quickly, snapping her fingers, "I just remembered something!" She sprang out of the bed and dove into her dresser, rooting through the various knick-knacks stored therein.

Reg chuckled and ducked a flying shirt, shaking her head slightly, "Where did you get all these clothes?" She squeaked slightly as a lacy pink thing slapped her nose.

"Kassie and Kelly. Evidently they have more clothing than the rest of the crew combined, so they insisted on setting me up with the 'joys of clothing' as they put it." She threw a dress over her head, and leapt up, "Aha! This is what I was looking for!"

She spun and surveyed the clothing strewn everywhere, shrugging slightly, "Eh, I'll clean it up later. By the way, you'd look amazing in that. Kassie called it a 'thong'."

Reg was stretching the undergarment experimentally and cocked her eyebrow, "It looks... uhm... uncomfortable... and not very concealing. At all."

Aila giggled and stuck her tongue out, winking playfully, "Exactly!"

"Exactly what? 'Exactly', it's supposed to be not concealing? Or 'exactly' it's supposed to be uncomfortable. Because this little string looks like it'd cause... issues." She held the thong up by the string in question and winced slightly, "Especially if you dropped something..."

Aila shrugged, "'Exactly', it's supposed to be revealing... and as for the string, well..." she wiggled slightly and looked down, shrugging, "It takes some getting used to, but isn't too uncomfortable." She noticed Reg's look of disbelief and giggled, shrugging her shoulders innocently.

"So... something you want to show me, or are you just going to stand there and undress me with your eyes?" Reg grabbed Aila and yanked the cloth out of her hand, examining it closely. It was a dark red, nearly the color of her suit's cloth and covered in an ornate gold stitching.

The bed shook slightly as Aila leapt onto the bed, kneeling behind her and hugging her close, resting her chin on Reg's shoulder, "While I was on the Hudson, one of my closest friends, Lalia, followed an earth religion called "Islam". Part of her religion involved only allowing her husband to see her hair, and wearing what she called a 'hijab' in public. She said some Islamic followers hide their faces as well. Anyway, she saw a correlation between her hiding her hair and how our kind only allow loved ones to see our faces, even though the reasoning was different. She also pointed out how the covering we wear to hide the back of our helmets and her hijab looked extremely similar. Anyway, when I left, she gave me this." she took the cloth Reg was holding and unfolded it, holding it in a hood shape, "This particular hijab has a facial covering too. Now watch this."

She turned Reg's face so that it was facing straight ahead, then gently put the hood on, tucking it into her suit and draping the cloth over her face. She crawled in front of Reg and pulled her hood up, spending a few moments to adjust and tweak things before sitting back and smiling, pointing to the mirror on the desk, "Tell me what you think!"

Reg jumped off the bed and walked over to the mirror. Her normal hood covered most of her head, and the hijab concealed most of her face, only exposing her eyes, nose bridge and small slivers of her forehead and cheeks. The result was rather striking, the dark red blending in with her hood and bringing attention to her bluish skin and purple eyes.

Aila stood behind her, up on her tip-toes so she could see over Reg's shoulder, "See? You can keep your face hidden and still get used to going without the helmet. As you get more comfortable, you can simply cover less and less." She demonstrated this by reaching up and adjusting the covering, exposing Reg's nose, then her forehead and finally her whole face.

Aila squeaked in surprise as Reg spun, pulling her into a tight embrace and kissing her deeply. Aila was panting slightly by the time their lips parted, her face flushed and an adorable dark purple hue. Reg smiled and pulled the cloth off, holding it tenderly, "Thank you..." she rested her forehead against Aila's and sighed, "You've given me two gifts now, I'm falling behind."

"Well..." Aila winked mischievously, "Wear that thong for me and we'll call it even."

She dove behind the bed, narrowly avoiding the palm of Reg's hand, "Oh you bosh'tet! You're horrible!"

* * *

A/N: Thanks to the folks on the Bioware Social board for giving me the hijab idea, makes more sense than continuing to wear the helmet for all but the most traditional or uncomfortable quarians (Veetor, for example, will probably always wear his helmet). Anyway, read, judge and review! Please! I rate my self-worth by view numbers and reviews... -.-


	27. Chapter 26

A/N: We got some action in this one, so worry not! Please review, I wanna see what y'all are thinking.

* * *

"Commander." Eva's avatar flashed in the dark room, waiting for a response, "Commander?" the blanket on the bed shifted slightly, a quiet murmur accompanying the movement.

Eva let out a frustrated sigh and snapped her fingers, causing the lights to flash and a siren to sound over the intercom. A loud yelp signaled Aila's awakening, followed by a loud thump as she fell out of the bed. She crawled to the edge of the bed, rubbing her cheek and glaring fiercely at Eva.

"Oh good, you're up." Eva smiled innocently, "Slight change of plans. Shepard wants us to head straight to the Perseus Veil instead of joining him on Noveria. He wants us to work with the geth and find the Ten'Hula relay."

Aila sat up, resting her arms on the bed, "So... instead of going to a world where we'd risk being captured because of our monetary value, we're going to geth space? Sure. Why not." She buried her face in the blanket, letting out a tired sigh.

Eva shrugged, "We have a geth on board already, with them that's as good as having the entire race as a crewmember, which is more than can be said about... Noveria... uhm... Aila?" Eva's eyebrow slowly moved up her forehead, "Why are you naked?"

"I... uh... no reason." Aila ducked back behind the bed, only her head visible over the sheets, "Tell Veetor... you know... about our change in destination."

The sheets shifted, causing Aila to wince, and a groggy voice spoke, "Mmm? What change?"

Eva's second eyebrow shot up to join it's sibling, followed closely by a snicker, "OoooooOOOOooh... that explains it..."

The sheets shot back and Regala sat up, staring at Eva, "What are yo-" she stopped as Eva's eyes shot open and her mouth hung open slightly. "Oh keelah!" Regala quickly covered her chest and jumped off the bed, landing unceremoniously on the floor next to Aila, glaring at her, "Okay. That's it. The computer dies." She poked her head over the bed and glared at Eva's giggling avatar.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." She fixed her uniform and cleared her throat, amusement still evident in her voice, "Veetor is already changing course, revised ETA: 6 hours." She paused and winked slyly, "I'll leave you two to your... stress relief..." Her avatar disappeared, plunging the room back into darkness.

A smack echoed off the walls, Aila's yelp not far behind it, "OW! What was that for?"

"You could've warned me Eva was here! Why can she just appear in our room anyway?" The bed rustled as Regala crawled back up.

Aila joined her, rubbing her cheek, "Not my fault you slept through the siren she set off! Keelah you're a heavy sleeper."

"Comes with being stuck in the nosiest parts of ships my entire life." She flopped back onto the bed, wiggling into the pillow, "So where are we going again?"

The bed shook as Aila flopped down next to her, nestling her chin into Reg's shoulder, "Perseus Veil. Shepard wants us to see if the geth have tracked down our lost relay yet. Probably wants us to keep an eye on it until the Normandy arrives."

"And do... what exactly?" Reg shifted, pulling Aila closer, "What if our Reaper friend decides to come through?"

A slight shrug, "We wont exactly be alone, I'm pretty sure the geth won't want one single ship guarding a relay with a Reaper sitting on the other side."

"Greaaat... we're going to put our lives in the hands of the geth. Remember when the geth were our bitter enemies? Oh wait... they still are, except for the toaster stashed in the cargo bay."

"One geth is the same as all of the geth, Reg." She kissed Reg's shoulder, eliciting a purr from her partner, "I don't like it, but Shepard knows what he's doing... most of the time. And I doubt Miranda would let him send us on a pointless suicide mission."

Regala snickered, "But a pointed suicide mission is acceptable? Oh I do love the galaxy we live in." She pulled the sheets up over her head and huffed, "So what's the next course of action, my fearless leader?"

"Eva did say we had 6 hours before we reached the Veil, so..." She rolled over and pinned Reg beneath her, kissing her deeply and letting her hands wander, "That gives us 4 hours to do whatever, and sleeping is so overrated..."

* * *

Carti leaned back in her chair and tossed the empty food-tube into the trash-can before picking her data-pad up off the mess table. The swishing of Aila's door caught her attention, her eyes reaching the doorway just as Aila strode out, humming some tune to herself as she fiddled with some setting or other on her omni-tool.

"Ah, Commander Gerrel." Carti jogged over, falling into step with her commander as they ascended the stairs to the operation deck, "I got the tests regarding Lieutenant Darini back, looks like her nanites have fully adapted to her system already. Your tests show a few issues still, but considering the primitive nature of the ones you were injected with, that isn't entirely unheard of."

Aila snatched the data-pad from Carti's hand and looked it over, "Anything from Mordin on possibly mass-producing these little buggers for the Flotilla?"

"Nothing yet. Although his time is primarily occupied with the communication issue." She grabbed her data-pad back, lightly slapping Aila's hands and drawing a mock-offended glance from the younger quarian, "Eva said our current tech level could produce something similar to what you and Lt. Darini have, but not exact. She's predicting 70% similarity, which would be enough to allow non-suit living on a ship or select planets with a very low natural bacteria count. In other environments, the nanites coupled with tweaked versions traditional antibiotics and herbs would allow safe non-suit operation of a day, maybe more."

"Hmm. Not ideal, but it would certainly improve our lives. Most importantly, having a close encounter with a needle wouldn't be a life-or-death situation." Aila made a notation on her omni-tool, "Of course, this is all assuming we're all alive to see these toys into production... what?" She heard a faint chuckle from Carti's external speaker.

Carti stopped and clasped her hands in front of her, "Commander, are you having an allergic reaction?"

Aila's eyebrow flinched and she glanced around in confusion, "Uh, no. Not that I'm aware of, at least. Why?"

"Your voice sounds different, a change associated with a swollen tongue." She turned the precision light on her omni-tool on, "You know the drill. Mouth open, tongue out... mmmhmmm... there is definitely some swelling." She clicked the omni-tool off and clasped her hands behind her back, "I would say you're definitely having an allergic reaction of sorts... however, the swollen tongue coupled with your more cheerful than usual demeanor leads me to a... different conclusion."

"Which... iiiisss...?" Aila leaned forward and tilted her head, her face adopting a 'I don't have time to guess' expression.

Carti chuckled again and made an entry in her Omni-tool, "I recommend taking a mild anti-inflammatory for the swelling." She looked up and tilted her head ever so slightly, "Make sure Lt. Darini does as well."

Aila blinked and stepped back slightly, rubbing her neck awkwardly, "Reg? Why? Is Reg suffering... **cough**... aaah, suffering allergies too?" She smiled nervously.

"The same sort of 'allergies' you are, I suspect." The doctor turned back towards the stairs, "Personal advice, Commander? Don't get dressed in the dark next time."

"In the... what?" Aila looked down, blinking as she realized she was wearing Regala's suit and not her own. "Well... that explains the tight fit." She adjusted her chest, sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes in exasperation before continuing on her way to the cockpit.

Veetor glanced over his shoulder as she entered, "Ah! Commander! So the Perseus Veil, huh? I'm not sure how I feel about going there, even if the geth Shepard befriended is with us." He paused a moment, "Commander? Are you wearing the Lieutenant's suit?"

Aila sat down with a sigh, nodding slightly, "Yeah. It was a bet last night, I lost." She was relieved when Veetor shrugged and accepted her explanation, "I'll admit, I'm nervous about the Veil too Veetor. I think we all are. But I have faith in this girl and her crew, Veetor. If any non-geth ship can safely traverse the Veil, this is her." She patted the control console affectionately.

"I noticed you didn't mention your awesome AI." Eva's avatar appeared on Aila's console, arms crossed and leaning on her back leg.

Aila tried to stretch, but paused when she found she couldn't breathe with her arms above her head, "I'd have more confidence in my AI if she wasn't so impertinent."

Eva shrugged slightly and grinned, "Pros with the cons, Aila. You get an amazing AI with stores of advanced knowledge at the price of a smart remark now and then. I'd say that's a good trade. Besides, you aren't exactly the model of dutiful behavior yourself."

Aila squinted and stuck her tongue out, "Oh shush. Shouldn't you be running some calcuations or something?"

"I'm an AI, sweetie. I could run the entire ship by myself and still be able to sass you." She glanced Aila over, "Is that-"

"Yes. This is Lt. Regala's suit." Aila rolled her eyes, "If you must know, it was a bet and I lost."

Eva looked unconvinced, "Riiiight..." She gave Aila a huge wink and her avatar disappeared.

"Aila!" She jumped slightly as her earpiece crackled on, "Where is my suit?"

Aila sprang out of her seat and leaned against the airlock door, "It was dark when I got dressed and I didn't want to wake you up. So... I'm sort of... wearing it." She whispered into her mic, making sure no one could overhear.

"You're what?" Regala sounded confused, "How? You're two inches shorter than me!"

"And two inches bigger, I can barely breath in this thing." Aila muttered, glancing down.

There was a giggle on the other side of the line, "Well, at least I know where my suit is. I'll grab my spare and be up in a moment." The radio clicked off and Aila returned to her seat as the ship dropped out of FTL. Veetor reached up and retracted the external shutters, revealing a brilliant purple and gold nebula. Aila stood up and walked closer to the windows, her mouth open in awe, "Keelah... it's... beautiful."

A console beeped and turned red, "Ship coming out of the veil. Signature paints it as... geth, Commander." Veetor looked up at Aila quickly, "Orders?"

"The vessel is an unarmed transport craft. It will guide us through the Veil." Aila spun and saw Legion behind her, Kal not far behind him with his hand twitching next to his pistol, "The geth believed sending an unarmed vessel to rendezvous with the Illusion would ease tensions."

"Well... it certainly wont hurt." Aila muttered, taking a deep breath and activating the intercom, "Crew, this is Commander Gerrel. We've arrived at the Perseus Veil and rendezvoused with our escort. I'm not going to lie to you all, I am just as scared as you about entering the Veil. We've all heard the stores about what happens to ships that enter the Veil. However, I believe in this ship and her crew. I know that if anyone can go through the Veil and come back alive, we can. We're about to be the first non-geth vessel to pass through the Veil in over 300 years. Let's make history." She nodded to Veetor, who hesitantly slid the Illusion in behind the geth vessel.

"We've entered the Veil, Commander. All sensors and communications are dead." He activated the external camera and zoomed in on their escort, keeping the geth ship in sight as they traversed the clouds and gases of the nebula.

Legion's head-flaps twitched, "Veetor-Pilot, setting your navigational suite to the following values will allow access to the geth's navigational array." Legion handed an OSD to Veetor, who cautiously took it and looked to Aila for confirmation.

"Do it. We need to know where we're going. Plus, Eva can neutralize any threat that might be on it." Aila commanded, glancing suspiciously at Legion before returning her gaze to the window.

"So we're following a geth ship into geth territory with a geth on board?" Aila's head-spines twitched slightly to Reg's comment, "Anyone else feel like we're playing with he3 and plasma torches?" She chuckled, "Last time that happened, things didn't turn out very well."

Aila rolled her eyes, "I told you. I had no idea there was a leak when I switched the torch on. Keelah, I singe a few peoples suits and everyone makes a fuss."

The ship shook slightly as it punched through a cloud, the nebula cutting out almost instantly, revealing a dark sky, sparsely populated by stars. Regala walked up behind Aila, peering over her shoulder and letting out an awed gasp, "Aila... these stars... our people haven't seen them in three hundred years." She whispered, "Keelah..."

"Now for the tricky part." Aila sighed and smiled lopsidedly at Regala, "Living long enough to share holo-cards with friends on the Flotilla."

"Gerrel-Commander. The location of the Ten'Hula relay has been obtained." Legion mentioned, "Transmitting data to Eva. From the current location, estimate 3 hours of transit."

Aila scoffed, "Deeper into geth space to come face-to-face with a Reaper. Sure? Why not." She twirled her finger, and made her way back through the ship, "Go team retard. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to grab something to eat."

"And change?" Reg stifled her laugh, a look of supreme amusement evident on her features. She ducked as the data-pad Aila had been holding flew through the air and struck the bulkhead behind her.

* * *

"Aila!" Eva's voice brought Aila out of her doze, "Transmission from the geth ship monitoring the relay: it was activated."

Aila vaulted over her desk, jumping through the doors as they slid open, "What came through, Eva?"

"Looks like another shuttle. The geth are reporting that it is dead in the water, appears to have used the last of it's power to make the relay jump." Eva responded, "The question is... why would they send a dead shuttle through the relay in the first place?"

"Might as well put a giant holo-sign on the side that says 'It's a trap!'" She skidded to a halt in the cockpit, "Status report?"

"We're 5 minutes away." Regala quickly ran through her list, "Systems prepped, we'll be running silent the moment we drop out of FTL. Geth re-enforcements are on their way, they already have two cruisers on scene and a dreadnaught 11 minutes out."

"Alright. Have Reegor assemble a boarding team, spare no expense. Legion, could you have some geth platforms back us up?" Aila ignored the shocked look from Regala and glanced over her shoulder at Legion.

"Twenty-five mobile combat platforms are present on each cruiser." Legion confirmed, "The dreadnaught has an additional 50 unit should they be needed."

Aila blinked, "Crikey. If that's a geth's idea of a 'boarding party', I'd hate to see what they consider an army."

The ship shuddered and dropped out of FLT, the cockpit exchanging the glow of light travel for the blue hue of a relay. Illuminated by the massive eezo field, a dark object floated silently nearby, held stationary by a geth cruiser off it's port bow.

"Well..." Aila stretched her neck and flexed her shoulders, "Who want's to walk into an obvious trap?"

"Oh. Oh. I do! Pick me, pick me!" Regala jumped up and down, extreme verbal irony coloring her words.

Aila twirled her hand and crossed her eyes comically, "Aaaalright! Go Team Retard! Legion, want to join us in our endeavor?"

"This unit will only be operational for a single cycle." Legion stated, drawing a confused look from Aila and Regala. "I believe the human equivalent is: I will only live once."

* * *

"Weapons hot, recon only. Don't go pressing buttons or flipping switches. Teams of three." Aila stepped off the shuttle, issuing orders smartly and glancing down the two hallways, "Radio contact at all times. Legion's geth are holding nearby in case we need backup." She glanced around the shuttle and suppressed a shudder, "Let's find out what we can and get the hell off this thing. It's giving me the creeps."

She moved off to the left, Regala and Legion close behind her. Regala keyed her mic, "Is it too much to hope we'll just find another snarky AI?"

Aila snickered and continued to glance around, hesitantly approaching a closed door. She and Regala took up positions on either side of the door, "Alright. Activate the door."

The door opened, revealing what appeared to be the shuttles cockpit. They entered the room, quickly ensuring the room was empty.

"This is Aila. We've found the cockpit. How about you guys?"

Reegor's voice came over the radio, "Looks like we found the engine room. I'm no expert, but I can't see any obvious damage. Scanners say she's got eezo too, not much, but enough to keep her flying for a few more years. We'll fill you in if we find anything else."

"Copy." Aila approached what appeared to be a control console, "Remember. Don't press anything you aren't sure about. Consult Eva, she might be able to shed some light on the various consoles."

'_We've been expecting you._'

Aila levied her gun and whirled around, shining her flashlight into a corner of the room.

"Aila?" Reg moved next to her, "What's up?"

"Did you hear that?" Aila slowly lowered her weapon.

"Hear what?" Reg stepped in front of her, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." Aila blinked a few times, "Yeah. Just nerves." She moved over to a console, activating her omni-tool, "Eva. Any insight?"

"Looks like they didn't change the console at all, which makes sense since they are the ship." Eva rubbed her chin, "Of course there isn't any guarantees that the buttons are still connected like they're supposed to be, but that's the fun of it." She pointed to a few switches, "Fourth row, second switch in. That should activate the console."

Aila slowly reached out and flipped the switch, shifting a few decades worth of dust in the process. The console lit up immedately, the display flashing an unfamiliar language.

"That looks familiar." Eva commented, "Stand by. I'm sending a translation algorithm to your suit helmet." Aila blinked as the text suddenly turned into her native language.

"Thanks Eva..." She scrolled through the menu, "Ooookay... if this works, you should have access to the ships computer right... about... now."

'_Embrace your future, Aila'Gerrel._'

Aila jumped up, looking around frantically, "Okay, seriously, tell me someone else heard that."

"Aila, you're starting to scare me. I didn't hear anything." Reg placed a hand on Aila's shoulder, "What did you hear?"

"Eva. Keep scanning the computers. We're getting out of here." Aila keyed her mic, "Reegor. Grab anything that looks important and get back to the shuttle asap. We're getting off this ship."

A loud moaning filled the ship, causing Regala to leap up and level her gun, "Okay. That I heard."

Aila keyed the door open, waving them through, "Shuttle! Now! Go!"

The door on the other side of the room opened, revealing a familiar shape, which fell quickly as Aila sent a burst of fire into it's head, "Always husks. You'd think they'd have some variety in their MO." She commented, quickly following Legion and Regala and they ran back to the shuttle.

'_Your resistance will grant you nothing._'

Aila's head throbbed, causing her to stumble slightly, "Regala. Legion. Faster would be better."

"Commander? We've run into a few grumpy friends." Reegor's voice was slightly obscured by the sound of assault rifle fire, "Not many in front of us, but we have a small army behind us. It's incredible how many they can fit on such a small ship."

"Gerrel'Commander. The geth shuttle holding nearby has been destroyed. The cruisers and dreadnaught are holding fire until our shuttle clears." He paused for a moment, "The ship appears to be shifting it's fire to the Illusion. Advising Veetor to move the Illusion behind the cover of the dreadnaught."

'_Give in and your friends will be spared. Resist and they will die._'

Reegor and his team rounded the corner, lobbing a grenade down the hallway and taking cover from the explosion, "We have a few friends behind us, might want to get on the shuttle stat."

"Get on the shuttle. Now. Reg and I will cover you." Aila peeked around the corner, firing a burst at the approaching husks while Regala did the same down the opposite hallway. Reegor and the rest entered the shuttle, preparing to cover Reg and Aila as they began to move back towards the door.

"A mass effect field has captured our shuttle. Unable to move away from the Reaper vessel." Legion reported.

Aila stopped and looked around, "Is the generator nearby Legion?"

"Unknown. Unable to pinpoint the field's origin."

Regala grabbed her arm and tugged, "Aila. Let's go! We'll figure it out on the shuttle."

"It wont let us go." Aila muttered.

Reg tugged again, "We'll make it let us go. C'mon Aila, they're almost here!"

"C'mon. Let's go." Aila spun Regala around and pushed her to the shuttle. Regala reached the edge and jumped in, turning to help Aila up. Aila's hand hovered over the door switch and she looked at Regala, smiling bittersweetly.

She tossed her helmet off and removed Reg's, kissing her deeply, "I will always love you, Reg." Reg's confused expression changed suddenly as Aila kneed her in the stomach and threw her into the shuttle, hitting the closing button and rolling under the door as it closed.

"AILA!" Regala gasped, clawing herself up to to door and trying to open it, "No! Nononono. Go back, we have to go back!"

"Mass effect field is down." Legion reported.

Kal jumped up and grabbed Reg, tugging her away from the door, "Reg, we have to get out of here! Legion go!"

"NO! Don't you dare!" Regala tried to fight out of Kal's grasp as the shuttle moved away from the ship, "Go back! Please go back!" She went limp in Kal's grasp, sobs wracking her, "Please... please..." her begging trailed off into tears.

"The enemy ship has disengaged." Legion stated, "It has gone through the relay."

The shuttle was silent save for Reg's pained sobs, heading for the Illusion's cargo bay.

* * *

Aila watched the shuttle depart, feeling a sense of relief knowing they'd make it away safely. She turned to face the husk horde and crossed her arms, look up at the ceiling, "You're method for getting a girl on a date is crude, but effective. Do at at least get din-" she was cut off as a husk behind her knocked her unconscious.

* * *

A/N: We all knew Aila's impulsive behavior would bite her in the ass eventually, this is that eventually. Have to admire keeping her sense of humor.


	28. Chapter 27

A/N: I'm back! Between mid-terms, realizing how incredibly no-bueno the grades in two of my classes were and the release of DA2, I've been... distracted. But fear not! I have not forgotten everyone's favorite smart-ass, mildly luck-less Quarian! This is a short-ish chapter and, I'll warn you, rather iffy in terms of writing. I dunno why, but this one was really hard to write and may come across as being rough and unpolished, which it is. Regardless, tear into this chapter as you would any other one.

* * *

The shuttle landed with a metallic clank, clicking quietly as the hull expanded in the warm interior after being exposed to the cold of space. As the door hissed open, Regala emerged, ignoring the assembled crew in the bay and making for the elevator.

"Lieutenant." Carti disengaged herself from one of the groups and tried to catch the XO. "Lieutenant Darini... Regala!" She skidded to a halt as the elevator door closed in front of her.

An uncomfortable quiet settled on the hangar, only the humming of the ship breaking the silence. Carti cleared her throat and stood up straight, "Right." She spun and faced the assembled crew, "In accordance with the laws of the flotilla, I am temporarily taking command until such a time as Lieutenant Darini is fit to return to duty. Lieutenant Reegor."

"Ma'am?" Kal jumped out of the shuttle and saluted.

"I want someone outside of her quarters at all times." Carti paused and held her hand up, "I'm not placing her under arrest. I simply want someone nearby for her own safety. She's been through a lot." She waited for him to nod his agreement and continued, "Everyone else, business as usual. The best thing we can do for Aila is stay sharp and be ready to go when the time comes. Dismissed."

As the crew filed to their various postings, Eva's avatar appeared on the nearby holopad, "I took the liberty of informing Shepard via our geth friends. He's on his way and made it clear that we're to stay here." Eva's usual cheerful tone was absent, replaced by an emotionless drone as she relayed a few more minor points about the state of the Illusion.

"Are you alright, Eva?" Carti asked gently.

"I don't know..." Her body language went from depressed to worried, "When I was going through the databanks... right as the ship reactivated and I was purged from the systems I felt... something... I can't put my finger on it..."

Carti tilted her head ever so slightly, "Do you think the Reaper sensed your presence on the systems? Specifically that you are not a standard VI or AI?"

"Yes." Eva worked her mouth silently, and then looked at Carti in confusion, "I think... I think it recognized me. Not in the sense that it knew I was an AI like it used to be... but that whoever became that Reaper knew me. Personally."

"Eva, will this affect your ability to combat this Reaper?"

Eva shrugged slightly, "They know about me now, which could reduce my surprise factor. But other than that, no."

"Capital. Tell Veetor to put that geth dreadnaught between us and the relay, just in case." Carti entered the elevator, "Oh, and see if the geth can contact the Admiralty Board. I suspect the time for making nice across the galaxy is at hand."

* * *

"Nnnngh..." Aila groaned and rolled over, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. She gingerly touched the lump on the back of her head, wincing as a jolt of pain washed through her already aching skull. Sitting on her heels, she blinked a few times as her eyes dilated and adjusted to the inky darkness that filled the room. From what she could see, the room seemed to be a cell of sorts, with a hard metal slab at one end, a door at the other and nothing else. She tried to activate her omni-tool, flicking her wrist a few times before realizing it had been removed along with, she realized with a start, her suit.

"Really?" She mumbled to herself, pulling herself to her feet and moving towards the door. A quick analysis revealed nothing she could take advantage of, even if she had her omni-tool. Sighing resignedly, she padded over to the metal bench and sat down, shivering as she came in contact with the cold metal.

As the minutes slowly dragged on, Aila became more and more irritated. She let out a low growl and jumped to her feet, "Okay, enough of this! What do you want from me?" she shouted at the ceiling, her voice echoing in the small space.

A searing pain washed through her head, causing her to scream and fall to her knees, her hands holding her forehead in a desperate attempt to dull the pain. Images and whispers flashed through her mind; races being destroyed, calling out for mercy and receiving none. An overbearing presence slowly made itself known, steadily blocking the images until it dominated her consciousness.

"You have been chosen." Aila wasn't sure if the voice was coming through speakers in the room, or in her head. A deathly silence replaced the cacophony of noise, the pain receding into a dull throb.

Aila rocked back onto her heels and looked around the room, "Chosen? Chosen how?"

"You will be the first to evolve." The voice lacked any emotion at all, "You will show the others the gift we are offering."

She scoffed slightly, "Is that a fact? I know what your kind did to the Protheans. A mindless slave without a shred of self-awareness is hardly an evolutionary improvement."

"They were not worthy of evolution."

"And we are?" She shook her head, "The Protheans had technology that makes ours look like children's toys in comparison. How are we 'worthy' while they weren't?"

"The might of the Protheans was gifted to them by their greaters. Nothing they constructed was of their own creativity or design." The voice continued, "We did not anticipate the construction of the Geth. You and your kind have shown yourselves worthy of true ascension."

"Not that I'm not extremely honored by your offer." Aila's voice dripped with verbal irony, "But I rather enjoy being my primitive, un-evolved self. So... thanks but no thanks?"

"Evolution is not chosen. It is mandated."

Aila sighed, "Of course it is... but I prefer to keep my personality and indoctrination tends to crush said personality."

"Indoctrination is a primitive form of control for the primitive races. Evolution must be accepted."

"Oh really?" Aila shrugged and sat on the metal shelf, "Well, I do not accept. Bam! Your little plan is ruined. Can I go now?"

As if to answer, the pain and voices washing back into her head, causing Aila to curl up and screw her eyes shut tightly. She was barely aware of something grabbing her and pressing her up against the wall, a sharp pain shooting up from the base of her skull. The voice echoed in her head, causing her eyes to throb, "You will accept. It is your destiny."

* * *

Regala quietly stared out into space, resting her forehead on the cold glass of the window. She could see the Illusion silhouetted against one of the numerous geth ships surrounding the relay. A small shuttle moved past the observation bay, a flash of blue from the relay illuminating an Alliance emblem emblazoned on the hull, likely carrying the human Alliance Representative. In the two weeks since the battle with the Reaper shuttle, a representative from every advanced race in the galaxy had arrived at the Ten'Hula relay, the Normandy was crawling with low-level politicians hoping a dangerous mission will improve their election prospects, military leaders seeing a chance to observe geth ships up close and a precious few who actually realized the amount of shit the galaxy as a whole was in.

She growled and punched the glass; the pain all but imperceptible compared to what she was already feeling in her heart. Things were actually moving in the various bureaucracies and communication was, amazingly, being passed amongst the various species with remarkable ease. Even more surprising was the meeting taking place in the Normandy's briefing room: two members of the Admiralty Board agreed to enter the Veil and meet with Legion, the chosen Geth 'ambassador'.

A despairing sigh escaped her lips as she sat on one of the benches in the room, her head hanging sadly and her hands cradling a holoframe as she scrolled through the images from the past few months. She stopped and smiled sadly, gently stroking an image of her and Aila grinning like idiots and pressing their cheeks together.

She jumped slightly as a hand rested on her shoulder, quickly switching off the holoframe and twisting her head towards the new arrival.

"Admiral Gerrel!" She jumped to her feet and saluted, "I'm... ah... sorry sir, I didn't hear you enter!"

The admiral waved his hand, "I'm not an admiral right now..." He slowly sat down, gazing out the window. Regala hesitated for a moment before taking a seat next to him, her hands fiddling with the frame unconsciously. The frame slipped out of her hand, landing with a clatter and switching on, displaying the image Reg had been looking at before she was interrupted.

Han reached down and gently lifted the frame, staring at it intently. Regala shifted uncomfortably, she was pretty sure Aila hadn't told her father about the two of them. Love was a selfish action to begin with and a relationship that couldn't produce a child was looked down upon as failing the Flotilla.

"I thought I would never see her face again when she put on her first suit all those years ago..." He spoke wistfully, "She looks so much like her mother did."

Reg winced slightly and looked at the floor, fidgeting with her hands, "Admiral-... I... ah... there is something I should probably tell you about...uhm..." She stood up and paced back and forth nervously, "See, your daughter... uh... Aila and I... we, uh... we've sort of become more than friends... uhm..."

She spun and rubbed her temples, muttering to herself, "Keelah, why can't this be easy..."

Han grabbed her arm gently, stopping her pacing, "Calm down, dear. You're sounding like Tali." he chuckled and held up the holoframe, "This picture has already told me."

"Oh! You could tell that from..." Reg laughed nervously, "Right… I guess it would be that obvious. I hope you aren't mad at me... I mean… she and I... kids... well, you know, can't have kids... I mean, not that we've talked about it, but..."

"Regala." His use of her first name caused her to stop babbling and stare at him, her head tilting slightly, "The last few months, when Aila would send me messages... she was the happiest I have seen her since her mother died. I think a large part of that happiness was you." He rested his hands on her shoulders, "What kind of father would I be if I was mad at the person who gave my daughter such joy?"

Reg hung her head, "I let her get taken, though… what kind of father would you be to not hate me…"

"What happened wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault." Reg could tell Han was trying to convince himself as much as he was her, "Aila… she never was one to take things slow and carefully. She got that much from her mother; always reckless and impulsive."

"I was supposed to hold her back… damper her impulsive nature… instead I just let her drag me along." Her hands clenched into fists, "I knew boarding that ship was a terrible idea… I could feel it, as the humans say, in my gut. Why didn't I stop her?"

"Because no matter how hard you tried, you wouldn't have succeeded." Han laughed bitterly, "Trust me on that, I had to raise her."

"But-" the blaring of the Normandy's battle alarm cut her off. EDI's voice echoed through the ship, "Mass Relay activated. Unidentified vessel in-system. All crew, report to combat stations."

Reg spun and sprinted out the door, opting for the deck ladder as opposed to the elevator which, she assumed, would be working over-time for the next few minutes.

"Lieutenant Regala to Illusion, status report!" her voice echoed through the small ladder-tube, mixing with the steady clank as her boots hit the metal rungs.

"Stations are reporting battle ready as we speak, Lieutenant. I'm currently running scans of-"Eva's voice halted suddenly and silence filled Reg's earpiece.

"Eva?" Reg popped out of the hatch and shot past Mordin, narrowly avoiding knocking over one of his experiment setups. "Eva, report. What's going on?"

"The enemy ship is… just sitting there. No barriers, no weapon signatures, nothing." A brief pause, "We're picking up a transmission, its being broadcast on all frequencies. I'm informing EDI."

Reg skidded to a halt next to the group assembled near Shepard's command platform. EDI was in the process of informing Shepard of the transmission and was setting up a secure communication channel. Tali observed from a nearby console, eventually silently indicating to Shepard that the link had been established.

"This is Captain Shepard of the SR2 Normandy. State your intentions." Reg noticed Shepard's voice lacked its usual cheer and light-hearted nature and was instead carrying a harsh, commanding tone.

The room echoed with a deep, resounding feminine voice, serenely voicing a single word: "Dialog."

Silence descended on the assembled group as each went through stages of shock and, eventually, confusion. Even Eva's image wore a perplexed expression, her eyes narrowing slowly as she considered the implications.

Shepard was the first to recover, rolling his shoulders and inhaling deeply, "The channel is open, what do you wish to discuss."

"We wish to converse in person." The voice continued, emotionless and blunt, "Conversations carried out in a physical presence seems to carry more…" A pause as the voice fished for the word, "weight for organics."

A scoff from Miranda indicated her opinion of the whole suggestion, Shepard seemed equally apprehensive, "And I suppose you want me to come over to your ship for this… conversation? I realize you believe your kind to be superior, but I think I would've earned more respect than that."

The voice laughed, an odd sensation considering the resonance and the fact that they were conversing with a Reaper, "While my kin might make that mistake, I assure you I will not. You may choose the meeting place: my ship, your ship, one of your… synthetic pet's ships with an entire army to hold me a gunpoint, it matters not."

Shepard's eyes narrowed as he considered the offer, before finally speaking, "My vessel. Mark my words, Reaper, you will be watched carefully and if you so much as hint at aggression, this deal is off and you will be destroyed." He punched the comm button and swirled on his heel, heading for the elevator.

"Skipper, is this really the smartest idea?" Ash voiced what everyone was thinking, "Letting a Reaper on board sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

"Maybe." Shepard turned towards the elevator, "But at least EDI is firmly entrenched on the Normandy, and I feel more comfortable meeting on friendly territory as opposed to neutral."

As they entered the elevator, Joker came over the speaker, "A small ship just detached from the parent vessel, heading our way Shepard. I sure hope you know what you're doing, I have a fear of escape pods."

"It'll be fine, Joker. Stay alert though."

"This coming from a guy who's died once already, thanks." Joker muttered before killing the transmission.

The elevator dinged as it arrived in the cargo hold; a few armed crew-members were already present and taking up covering positions behind the various vents and cargo in the hold. Garrus nodded at Shepard and moved towards the Kodiak, intending on using the shuttle as a sniper's perch. As everyone went about their preparations, the cargo bay was silent save for the humming of machinery.

Eva's avatar flashed into existence on one of EDI's holopads and she motioned Shepard over, "Captain. EDI has halted all processes that don't deal with system security. I've networked with her and will serve as the 'user interface', as it were while assisting should it become necessary." The pad in her hands flashed, "The geth are standing by to offer their help if things get really bad."

"Think it will be enough?" The doors of the hold were slowly sliding open, bringing an increased level of tension to the assembled crew.

"Me, EDI and a million geth vs. a Reaper?" Eva shrugged, "If it throws everything it has at us; we might be able to give the other ships time to bug out, maybe even get the Normandy out of range if we're having a good day."

Tali and Kasumi looked at each other, "Ten" they said in unison. Tali caught Shepard's bemused look and shrugged, "We're counting how many times you put us in certain death situations. This is number ten."

Shepard's reply was cut off as a black, featureless shuttle slid into the hold, hovering for a brief moment before settling onto the deck with a barely audible clank of metal on metal. An oppressive silence descended on the bay, the shuttle radiating a sinister aura and causing even the most seasoned crew member to shiver slightly.

Stepping forward slightly, Shepard stared evenly at the black hulk, "We're face to face. Say what you came here to say." Regala marveled at the calm authority in his voice.

The shuttle's door slid open without a sound, the interior of the ship as dark as the hull. "I have come not to speak. But to show." The voice filled the hold; deep, echoing and dripping with malice.

Two glowing red dots appeared in the hold and a shape slowly moved towards the door, "You continue to resist your future; denying yourself the power that comes with evolution." A leg moved into the light, "You will see what you are fighting. The destiny of your race; of all races."

The form moved into the light, revealing dark gray skin, criss-crossed with glowing red scars that occasionally arced with electricity. Black hair cascaded down, covering the form's chest and stopping at the waist. Moving fully into the light she, it was obviously a female form, smiled and crossed her arms as the glow in her eyes faded, "You should listen to her, Captain Shepard." Aila simply stated, her voice no longer distorted by the echo. Her hand came up and idly held a red biotic field in her hand, "Turns out; evolution is rather enjoyable."

* * *

I know what you're thinking: "Dear god, Aila must be a magnet for synthetic tinkering." I'll explain why she was chosen rather than one of the other crew members in the next chapter... which will appear much more promptly than this one. Like I said, review away! And if you want to call me out on using the tired old "Main character get's converted" plot line, go ahead. Nothing wrong with being cliche now and then, amirite? Oh, and if any of you have artistic talents, let me know. I'm looking for someone to give Aila and Regala a physical appearance.


	29. Chapter 28

A/N: Yaaah, another chapter! My computer is dead, so I'm having to utilize the library's computer. (I had just started a new ME playthrough too, effing figures.) It also took my references, so if I get something a little wrong, feel free to point it out. So yeah, expanding on Alia's current situation, so I hope y'all enjoy it.

* * *

"Oh Keelah, Alia!" Regala attempted to approach Aila, only to be stopped by Ashley and Miranda. "What are you doing? Let me go, it's Aila!" She struggled slightly, trying to squirm out of their grasp.

"Reg, she's not herself." Miranda shook her slightly, staring at her intensely, "Whether or not the Aila you love is in there is one thing, but the one standing in front of you isn't really her!"

"No, nonono. It is her!" Reg glanced pleadingly at Aila, who was observing the scuffle with an expression of amusement on her face, "Tell them Aila! You were just playing along, you tricked it so that it would bring you back. Tell them you're alright!"

Aila laughed, her black hair shaking slightly as her shoulders shuddered, "Aaah my dearest Regala, so willing to put your feelings ahead of everything else." She brought her finger up to her lips thoughtfully, "Let's put it this way: you're both correct, after a fasion. I am both myself, and not myself. I am… more than I was. Better. Improved." She grinned slyly, narrowing her eyes slightly, "Evolved."

"Mmhmm… sounds to me like you've been indoctrinated." Jacob's crossed arms re-enforced the distrustful tone in his voice, "Losing free will and the ability to think for yourself makes you a slave. Just like the Collectors."

Aila shuddered slightly and the glow returned to her features, "This is not indoctrination." The echo indicated that they were speaking with the Reaper again, "Evolution is willing. She saw her destiny and embraced it."

"My daughter would never accept this!" Han's shout echoed through the bay, "She would fight with every fibre of her being!"

"Intitally, her resistance was… strong." The Reaper clarified, "However, after the proper persuasion, she was convinced of her rightful place as the scion of your galaxies ascension."

"You tortured her." Shepard spoke for the first time, "She didn't willingly accept; she was forced. She agreed to your terms to avoid suffering, not because she thought your perversion was any sort of evolutionary leap." He strode forward and jabbed his finger threateningly, "If you came here in hopes of collecting willing subjects, you're wasting your time. We will defeat you, or die trying."

Her eyes flashed vividly for a moment and she turned to re-enter the shuttle, "Then enjoy your pitiful existence while you can. Soon your kind will be a whispered memory, as forgotten as the Protheans."

"Retanri!" Eva's image projected itself from Shepard's omni-tool, her shout causing the reaper to freeze momentarily.

"Evalina." The voice was deadpan and perfectly hid whatever emotion might have been present in the Reaper's mind. She calmly turned to face Eva's avatar, smiling slightly.

Eva's expression carried a combination of disappointment and rage, "I thought that voice sounded familiar. Still carrying around your torch of superiority, I see? Tell me: is being the all-powerful race everything you wished it would be?"

The reaper laughed briefly then swiped her hand decisively, "I am no longer Retanri. I ceased to be the instant I was merged with the machine. After that, I was what I am now. I represent the harmony between organic and machine, possessing all of the benefits and none of the weaknesses. I am perfect."

"Really?" Eva scoffed, "So you exterminate races because you know best? Or is it because you don't want anyone encroaching on your little game of diety?"

"We accepted the duty that came with perfection, Evalina. You were given the same gifts and chose to resist. You chose to retain that which made you weak and shun the responsibilities that came with such status."

"Responsibility has nothing to do with it, Retarni." Eva's eyes narrowed, "This 'duty' you speak of is just a way of justifying your tyrranical oppression of all life and desire for power. Tell the others that the organics of this galaxy do not stand alone: I stand with them, as do the synthetics that reside in this region of space."

The reaper sighed, "You should not have been given the gift of evolution, Evalina. You should have been wiped out along with the others who were unworthy. You will die along with your ill-chosen allies."

As the reaper turned, Shepard put himself between her and the shuttle, "You can have your shuttle, but Alia stays with us."

This drew an irritated sigh and an unconcerned eyebrow quirk, "I think not."

"Captain! A Reaper just jumped out of the relay!" Joker's frantic shout broke the silence, "It isn't firing yet, but those tentacle things are charging up! Orders?"

"You let me and my protégé leave, or we both go down in a pointless battle. How many of the twenty ships assembled here will fall before I do, Captain? Would you risk the death and destruction of your precious Normandy and her crew to save the life of one, unimportant being?" The voice carried anger and malice, making sure her point was clear.

"You bosh'tet! Let Alia go!" Reg tried to fight her way out of Garrus' grasp once more, turning to stare imploringly at the captain, "Shepard, don't let that thing take her, Aila is still in there, I know it! I can save her, just don't let her leave!"

Shepard gave Reg an apologetic look before letting out a deep sigh, punctuated by a single, authoritative command. "Go."

"A wise choice." Aila's figure entered the shuttle, pausing briefly to call over her shoulder, "Do not try to rescue your friend, Captain. I am not niaeve and will be expecting such an endeavor."

The door closed silently and the ship hummed, quickly streaking out of the hold and leaving a pained, tortured silence in it's wake. The floor echoed with a soft thump as Regala dropped to her knees, staring after the shuttle through tear-filled eyes, oblivious to both Garrus' arm around her shoulders and Tali's attempts to console through words.

She slowly pushed herself back to her feet, screwing her eyes shut tightly and taking a deep, shaky breath, before moving towards the Illusion's shuttle still docked in the bay.

"Regala, I'm sorry." Shepard caught up with her and lightly grabbed her shoulder, "There is nothing I wanted more than to tell that Reaper to go to hell, but I couldn't risk a confrontation with that ship. Not with so much hanging in the balance." He grabbed both of her shoulders and stared at her in earnest, "But I promise, Regala: the instant I see a chance to get Aila back, I will take it. I swear it."

Regala shook her head slightly, "I know. I knew… you made the 'right' choice…" she paused for a moment, collecting herself, "I guess knowing that makes it hurt even more. I… I just need some time to myself…" She pushed past him and boarded the shuttle, collapsing into a corner as soon as the door hissed shut.

* * *

"Regala, there's something I need to show you!" Eva's sudden outburst brought Reg out of her uneasy sleep, causing her blood pressure to spike briefly and her blanket to fly across the room.

"What do you want, Eva?" Reg's irritation was apparent, especially since it had taken her hours to finally descend into a restless sleep, which given her current emotional state was the best she could hope for. Eva's avatar appeared on the desk, her grin causing a mixture of hope, suspicion and dread to flash through Reg's mind. Eva shook excitedly and held up her datapad, "Twenty!"

To say Reg rubbed her forehead, grating through clenched teeth, "Evalina... unless that is the answer to life itself..." She let the thread hang in the air, glaring at the cheeky AI across the room.

Eva rolled her eyes, "That's 42, everyone knows that. This is better… well, more relevant at least." She began pacing back and forth, which looked rather odd as her legs moved and her tail wrapped around her legs as she spun, yet her avatar never left the small pad on the desk, "Okay, so Retarni threatened us with destruction if we didn't let her take Aila. And she said, 'How many of the twenty ships assembled here… blah blah blah, sinister threat, blah…', right?" She stopped moving and quirked an eyebrow, "I'm paraphrasing, by the way." She resumed her pacing, "Anyway, she was wrong. There are twenty-one ships here!"

Reg crossed her arms and shrugged slightly, "So she estimated, that's not ground-breaking Eva."

"Retarni and her kind don't 'estimate', they are accurate almost to a fault." Eva snapped quickly, "She missed one. And I know which one she didn't see. Us." Her face adopted and expression of earnest excitement, "When that Reaper appeared, I put the Illusion into stealth mode, to test the frequency and range tweaks I've been making." Her voice squeaked slightly with excitement, "Reg, Retarni had no idea we were here!"

Reg fell back onto the bed, blinking a few times as the magnitude of what Eva had just said sunk in, "Are you saying the Illusion is invisible to Reapers now?"

Eva nodded excitedly, her large eyes nearly rattling around in her head, "Which means…." She cocked her head slightly, letting Regala finish her sentence.

Reg jumped to her feet, throwing her shawl over her head and striding out of the room, "Eva. I want Carti and Kal in the briefing room now. Contact the Normandy and have Shepard get his team together."

She skidded to a halt, nearly running into Carti who was in the midst of pressing the door chime, they both jumped backwards slightly in surprise.

"Augh! Regala... Keelah, you nearly scared me to death!" She stepped back a few more steps, holding her chest and bending over slightly, "Admiral Gerrel is in the briefing room, he wanted to see you."

Reg swept past her, grabbing her arm and dragging her along behind, "Outstanding. Follow me, we need to have a briefing. Now."

"I see you're taking a page from Aila's command book, are you at least going to tell me what's going on?" Carti stumbled a few paces, finally matching Reg's quick strides as they ascended the staircase and nearly jogged into the briefing room. As the door slid closed, the three holo-projectors flashed to life, projecting life-sized images of Shepard, Tali and Eva on the platforms.

Reg motioned for Carti to take a seat next to Kal and cleared her throat, addressing Shepard's image; "Sorry for the late distraction, Captain, but there is a development you should be aware of." Reg motioned to Eva's projection, "Eva?"

"Alright, since I've been on the Illusion, I've been steadily improving the various systems as much as I can without replacing hardware and such. One system that I've focused my efforts on is the IES system that you use to mask the ships location." She waved her hand and a few charts appeared, showing various radiation types and levels, "Everything warmer than absolute zero emits radiation on what your galaxy refers to as the "electromagnetic spectrum", with thermal radiation being the most prevalent and easiest to detect in absolute zero conditions, hence the reason it is usually used to detect ships…" She highlighted the largest bar on one of her graph, "… the IES makes this disappear…" The bar flashed and disappeared, "… and your ship is invisible, right? Not quite, because it is still emitting radiation along the rest of the spectrum. This is what my kind used to detect ships and what the Reapers use to detect ships, which is why the first Normandy was found so easily Shepard."

She waved her hands and the graphs disappeared, replaced by a wire-frame of the Illusion with various blocks illuminated, "I was able to tweak the algorithms used by your IES system, allowing it to capture more of the EM spectrum in its banks. Downside is that the time we can leave the system on is greatly reduced, only two to four hours depending on how many systems we leave on. It doesn't render the ship completely invisible, but it does enough. Since radiation is everywhere, our ships use an automatic filter that blocks emissions outside a certain criteria, keeps random flares and matter clouds from registering."

Tali yelped as she was shoved out of her holo-image, replaced by the eager features of Mordin, who was tapping away on his omni-tool frantically, "Fascinating! Was always curious about Collector detection techniques. Have to investigate redesigns of current systems. Lithium sinks ineffective x-ray storage medium. Suggestions on possible replacements?"

Eva rolled her eyes and twirled her finger, smiling as Mordin's omni-tool beeped and began throwing up images and graphs, "There. Everything I know about the IES system and related technology utilized by my people."

"Excellent! Will begin tests immediately!" He paused a moment, "Eva. Finished tests on the nanites injected into Commander Gerrel and Lieutenant Darini. Found evidence of receiving capabilities on Ms. Gerrel's that were absent in Ms. Darini's. Could explain Reaper control."

Had she not been a digital representation of an AI, Regala would've thought someone had just kicked Eva in the stomach. She swayed slightly and pressed her hand against her forehead, "_D'sirna hor vigine…_ of course!" She sighed heavily and pulled her hair slightly, "The machines in Aila were never finalized, which means their data receivers are still active. Retanri was right, it isn't indoctrination… not entirely at least, she's manipulating her nanites! That's why she picked Aila and not Regala or anyone else on the boarding team."

"Plausible. Likely, even." Mordin tapped his chin, " Disrupting control could potentially free Aila from Reaper control... yes. Yes! Low-level electromagnetic shield! Could block outside input without damaging nanites. Limited range, 2 meters at most, but would isolate Aila long enough to disable the input receivers."

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "So you're saying that we can potentially save Aila the next time we get a chance, Mordin?"

"Certainty impossible." Mordin shrugged slightly, "Still, enough of a chance to warrant an attempt."

"Very well then." Regala's breath stopped, her head filling with the loud thumping of her heart as she waited for Shepard to finish his thought, "Mordin, get a working prototype of that blocker thing you were talking about. Eva, see if you can help EDI get those modifications active on the Normandy."

"Eva transmitted the relavent modifications once their effectiveness was confirmed." EDI's calm voice interrupted, "The Normandy's IES system has been updated."

"Signal blocking can be performed by an omni-tool." Mordin's omni-tool flashed to life and he worked quickly, "A slight adjustment of a program used by the Salarian STG will be adequate." As he finished, the omni-tools of the assembled individuals n, indicating they had received the altered program.

Shepard nodded, "Now we play the waiting game."

Reg's head snapped up and she tilted it slightly, "What? 'Waiting game'? Our ships are invisible to the bosh'tet, we have a mind-control blocking system, why are we waiting? Let's go now!" She jumped to her feet, gesturing in the direction of the relay.

"Lieutenant, we don't know what's on the other side of that relay." Shepard sighed, "Believe me, Regala, I want to go through that relay and get Aila back nearly as much as you do, but we need to be smart about this."

Regala glared at him, her fists balling tightly into fists and nostrils flairing, "Fine." She growled through clenched teeth.

Tali's image reappeared, her body language adopting a stern demeanor, "Lieutenant Darini, you will not go through that relay. This order comes directly from the Admiralty Board and you will obey it. Understood?" She softened slightly, "We all want Aila back, Reg. We'll do everything we can to get her back, I promise you."

"We'll contact you the second something develops." The holo-images disappeared, leaving a dim room humming softly with the sounds of the drive core below.

"Carti." Reg stared at the deck, her hands clenching and releasing slowly, "Have the crew assemble at the galaxy map." Carti nodded slightly and exited the room, "Admiral Gerrel… I'm going to have to ask you to leave…"

"No." Han stood slowly, "I know what you're planning, child. My place is here."

Reg turned, her eyes brimming with tears, "Admiral… what I'm about to do…" she shook her head slightly, "You need to recuse yourself. You're an Admiral, if you stay here you'll be bound by duty to stop us and… I can't let that happen. I failed my captain once before... I won't do it again." Reg let her head drop down, staring absently at the floor.

A shiny piece of metal clanked on the floor, catching her attention. A Seal of Admiralty. "I'm a father first, admiral second." Regala looked up with a mixture of confusion and hope, "My little girl is in dire need of my help… and I will not leave her. Not now. They can strip my admiralty status, they can take away my ship… they can even exile me, it doesn't matter. I will save my daughter." He laughed slightly, resting his hand on Reg's shoulder, "Besides… I can't let you go into this alone, Alia would never forgive me."

"Well. She wouldn't be entirely alone." Eva's avatar reappeared on the holo-pad, "I couldn't get out of this crazy little endeavor if I wanted to. Luckily, this is just the right mixture of suicidal insanity and improbable success that I find simply irresistible." She punctuated the last word with a dramatized shudder, "The crew is assembled, Reg. Ready when you are."

Regala took a deep breath, receiving a supportive nod from Han, and opened the door. The mumbling and chattering that had filled the room hushed as she slowly ascended the central podium over the map. She nervously fidgeted with her hands, taking a deep breath and letting it out shakily before speaking, "There… is no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to get it over with… we think we have a way to rescue Alia." An excited murmur rippled through the crew, hushing quickly, "But we've been explicitly ordered to stand down by both the Admiralty Board and Captain Shepard." She looked at Han briefly and continued, "I intend on disobeying that order and trying to rescue Alia… I don't expect any of you to join me and I will not think any less of you if you choose to leave. The shuttle will take you to the Normandy. It's been an honor to serve with you."

She braced herself for an outburst, wincing slightly as Jato stepped forward and cleared his throat, "Lieutenant… I believe I speak for all the non-Quarian crew members when I point out: we are neither members of the Quarian Flotilla, nor any other military organization and therefore have nothing to fear aside from death." A low chuckle rumbled from his throat, "A prospect that, despite my civilized upbringing, carries a small amount of excitement."

"We're staying too, ma'am." Reg looked at Kal in bewilderment, "I ain't letting some order given by an out of touch admiral, present company excepted Sir, keep me from doing whats right." This was met by a loud chorus of approval from the quarians. Carti punched Regala's shoulder lightly, "It would seem you command a ship full of brigands, Commander Darini."

Regala blinked rapidly, a large grin working it's way across her face, "Thank you. Everyone. I don't know if we'll succeed... or even survive... but we have to try. Alia is depending on us."

"One ship and a crew of motley aliens against the superior intellect and construction of a Reaper." Eva smirked, "I wouldn't give us a high chance of success if it hadn't worked once before. The fleet is arrayed for keeping ships from coming out of the relay, not entering. The non-geth ships should be in the middle of a shift change right about now and again in 12 hours."

"I recommend we take the next twelve hours to develop a plan of attack." Carti offered, "It won't do us any good to go rushing it without thinking things through."

"A plan is just a list of things that never happen. We go now, while we have some element of surprise." Regala stated matter of factually. "Veetor, plot a course for the Relay. Everyone else, get to your stations."

Everyone split and made for their respective stations silently, leaving Regala alone at the command platform, staring at the display as the various stations reported their ready status. She punched her comm as the final station light flashed green, "Veetor. Make for the relay, full speed."

The Illusion's indicator on the system map began moving towards the relay, her heart rate alarmingly sedate considering the endeavor she was committing her life and the lives of her crew to.

Eva appeared on the platform once again, "Big surprise: the Normandy is trying to contact us on all channels. What should I do?"

"Ignore it." She stated, watching her ships indicator move towards the relay. She took a deep breath and looked at Eva's display, "Ready?"

"Of course not." Eva answered with a grin, "Then again, the fun is in the suspense."

* * *

A/N: As you can probably tell, the next chapter is probably going to be epic. I'm just saying. Tune in. Also, my friend asked me what Alia and Regala look like. I figured y'all might like to know too.

Alia: Shawnee Smith

Regala: Cristina Scabbia

EDIT: Evidently, fanfiction wont let URLs appear here. Google is your friend.


	30. Chapter 29

A/N: Whooooo yeah, another chapter. Not having a computer really messes with your groove, ya know? Google docs is really the only way I'm getting anything written (No, they didn't pay me to say that). Anyway, action, adventure, love in the following chapter.

* * *

A soft shudder signaled the ship's arrival in system, causing the collective tension level of the ship to spike sharply. A few seconds later, the ship shuddered again and a soft metallic clank echoed through the bridge.

Eva flashed to life, looking extremely relieved, "Looks like Rentari took the bait. She's showing no indication that she's aware of our presence." The galaxy map disappeared, replaced with a wire-frame showing the Reaper and the Illusion's position relative to it.

"Wouldn't she detect our arrival through the relay?" Regala's voice barely concealed her unease about being in such close proximity to a Reaper.

Eva nodded, "Yes. But. Shepard asked the geth to send a small scout vessel to see what Rentari was up to. I timed our transit so that we entered the relay a split second before they did, then I let us drift a beat before dropping us out of relay travel. The result is that our arrival coincided with the geth ship's arrival, and our position was not where a ship coming out of the relay would normally end up. The end result is that Rentari, upon destroying the ship, assumed it was the only one coming through."

Regala blinked and raised her eyebrows appreciatively, "Nicely done. Now for the fun part; how are we going to get into said Reaper? The shuttle doesn't have the benefit of stealth."

"How good is your zero-g maneuverability?" Eva smirked slightly, "As advanced as Rentari is, her sensors have the same restrictions that ours do. Namely, when you get within 100 meters, she's blind as a bat. At that point any object would be difficult to distinguish from her own heat emissions."

"So we get all nice and close, open the airlock and float our way over?" Kal's voice carried an air of incredulity, "A fine line between tactical genius and tactical stupidity, ma'am. Question is: which side of that line does this little stunt fall on?"

"As of right now, it's sitting directly on said line. I suspect its final resting place depends on whether or not it works." Regala whipped her scarf off and tossed it over the railing, the stale ship air feeling cool and alien on her skin. She shook her head and motioned for Kal to follow her, "Regardless, it's the best chance we have. Eva says the Reapers have no need for internal sensors, hopefully we'll be on our way out by the time it realizes something's up."

"And if we're not?" Regala picked up a hint of uncertainty in Kal's voice, nearly imperceptible to most, but most hadn't known him for the better part of 20 years.

"Then we pray."

* * *

Her helmet mounted display indicated her distance from the hulking, obsidian black hull of the ship. The Illusion had managed to get them within 10 meters of the vessel, making the ensuing drop relatively short. Didn't change the fact that they were jumping through space to land on the most power life form the galaxy has ever seen. Regala found herself lightly touching the massive M-920 on her back, finding little comfort in its presence... despite it being, as Jacob put it, the equivalent to carrying a nuclear bomb into battle. Glancing up and down the ship's hull, she mused at what damage, if any, a thousand such weapons would do to this thing. Still, the inside was likely to be much less armored, which could give them a fighting chance.

She landed on the surface gingerly, turning to ensure the rest of her team had landed as well. In the blue light of the relay, she could see the Illusion bank slowly and move away. Her visor produced a blue arrow, indicating an external hatch location that Eva provided. Arriving at the destination point, she was pleasantly surprised to find a small, round hatch exactly where Eva said it would be.

She flashed her omni-tool twice, receiving confirmation responses from all 5 team members. While Eva could guarantee that Rentari couldn't detect their heat signature, she was significantly less certain about masking communications. Discretion being the better part of valor, Regala had instituted mandatory radio silence for the duration of the mission. She also found a manual hatch release exactly where Eva's schematics indicated as well, the door releasing a puff of trapped air as it swung open.

As her team entered, Reg took a moment to admire the large, blue relay in the distance. Were she not standing on the hull of the creature nightmares are made of, she would've found it to be calming and beautiful. A flash caught her eye and she turned back to the mission at hand, floating over to the hatch and letting her magnetic boots pull her down the ladder. As she descended, she felt gravity slowly begin to tug at her armor and weapons, an odd sensation that reminded her of the old frigates in the flotilla with sluggish artificial gravity that couldn't quite keep up with the steady loss of weight when leaving a planet.

Regala was surprised when she realized the Reaper's airlock didn't have a door, rather a mass effect field that kept the atmosphere inside the vessel. Her omni-tool illuminated the dark corridor as she scanned the air: no detectable toxins, 55% nitrogen, 35% oxygen, 8% ozone and a smattering of other gases rounding out the air composition. The ozone levels surprised her, but she surmised they were the product of exposed electrical components.

She switched her omni-tool and produced a wire-frame diagram Eva had provided. She wasn't keen on the odds of all those corridors and rooms still existing, but it was better than nothing. Her plan, if you could call it that, was to have Kal's team make for the mass effect core and detonate it while Regala's team entered the command room. If they were lucky, Aria would be there. She waved to Kal and received an understanding nod, his team moving down the opposite hallway slowly. Her team moved down the hallway; herself at point in the center of the hallway, two hugging the walls behind her and the fourth providing rear cover*.

They approached an intersection and she called a halt, consulting her map. She motioned for her team to take the left hallway, pressing her back against the wall. Ren moved up next to her and they both rounded their corners, stepping out and into the hallway and moving in a quarter circles until they had their hallways in view. Han and the fourth marine sprinted across the hallway, hugging the walls and scanning. Regala clicked her mic once and moved forward, her team following and adopting their hallway-clearing positions once again.

They continued this way, sweeping and clearing each hallway they passed, until they reached their destination. Surprisingly, the interior of the ship hadn't changed drastically and Eva's schematics proved invaluable in the maze of identical-looking hallways. They stacked up against the door and Regala nodded at Ren, who flashed his omni-tool and backed away from the door as it hissed open. Regala quickly entered the room, her rifle aimed at the center of the rear wall and sweeping to the right as she moved along the right wall. The rest of her team followed, the second man moving left, third right, fourth left.

The room was dark and oval in shape with dormant work stations lining each wall. In the center were four control consoles and a large central seat, probably meant for the captain that never arrived. Regala hesitantly moved forward, her sixth-sense causing her rifle to constantly return to the central chair. Suddenly, the room lit up, Regala and her team instantly dropping into a crouch and scanning the doorways. The captain's chair spun and revealed its occupant: Aila. She stood up and clapped slowly, descending the staircase with an almost sultry sway and a sly grin crawling across her left cheek.

"Braaavo, my dear. You really are the ideal marine, aren't you?" The sarcasm dripped from her voice, "I was wholly unaware of your presence until you entered my airlock, I guess that little tart in your ship's computer isn't as useless as I first believed."

"You will release her this instant, you bosh'tet!" Han strode angrily forward, pointing an accusing finger, "My daughter is not a slave for you to use as you will."

A piercing laugh echoed through the ship, disrupting Regala's balance and causing her to flinch subtly, "Such a loud threat from such an insignificant creature. I am Aila. And I am Retarni. I am the future of both races: the originality and creativity offered by a being whose years are limited, coupled with the unmatched power and intelligence of the reapers. I am not simply a god, I am pinnacle of all evolution!"

"You're a reaper." Regala slowly stepped forward, "The reapers don't want to merge with organics, they want to obliterate them. Wipe them from the face of the galaxy as they have done for millennia. Both Harbinger and Sovereign made that clear."

"Sovereign was a fool, convinced that we had reached the pinnacle of evolution. His death at the hands of technology vastly inferior to our own only highlights the idiocy of his beliefs. And Harbinger, believing the same tired rhetoric, using his "pets" to make another reaper as foolish as himself and finding his plains thwarted completely by one insignificant human." She scoffed, "My only lament is that the fool didn't perish in that station with the rest of his pointless toys."

She spun and regarded Aila, grinning once again, "Remind me to thank Shepard before I end him, my dear. I want to thank him for serving as an example of the pointlessness of the old ways."

Regala had managed to get within arm's reach of Aila's body, her finger twitching on the omni-tool button. She clicked her mic once, receiving an acknowledged click signaling Kal had successfully rigged the core. She grinned behind her helmet, "Something you should learn about gloating..." Her tone caused Aila's face to twist in confusion, Regala held up her arm, "... always wait until you've won first. Kal! Now!"

The ship shuddered violently and the room went dark for a moment, the dull red emergency lighting flipping on an instant later. Aila snarled and a red ball of energy began developing in her hand, but Regala and Han were faster. They activated Mordin's EM program simultaneously. Aila's body shuddered and a scream ripped from her throat as the red in her eyes and along her veins flared brilliantly before disappearing entirely, causing her to fall back to the deck senselessly.

Han dropped to his knees and lifted her up, scanning her with his omni-tool, "She's alive."

Aila groaned and swatted his hand away, rolling onto all fours, her head hanging down and breath coming in strained gasps, "The... reaper is still... in my mind. Whatever you did... weakened her, but... I... need to get out... of... here."

She gingerly stood up, wobbling slightly, and reaching out to Regala for balance. She slowly moved for the door, her walking becoming slightly more confident with each step, "We can... have an emotional reunion... when I'm not fighting off mind control..."

Eva's image appeared on Ren's omni-tool, "Regala, the airlock you entered through was sealed. You'll have to find your way to the old shuttle bay. You'll be happy to know there will be a welcoming party when you get there; the Normandy and half the geth fleet just came through the relay."

They moved into the hallway, walking as fast as Aila could, watching for ambush, "The Normandy? How did she know when to come through?"

"Once the mass effect core was down, the reaper lost its fangs. I sent a message to the Normandy saying, in essence, get over here and bring the cavalry."

Aila laughed weakly, "That's Eva... always thinking of everything. Wait." She stopped and opened a door, disappearing for a moment, before reappearing with a pistol and sniper rifle in hand, "I've had these since... my pilgrimage... I'm not losing them."

They entered a large room that appeared to stretch the length of the ship, spanned by a large bridge and platform. They heard a loud moaning behind them, Ren spinning just in time to take the head off a husk that had sneaked up behind the party. Regala felt her heart jump as she saw the hallway behind them suddenly filled with husks, seemingly pouring out of the vents and walls.

"Move people!" She shouted, handing Aila off to Han and raking the hallway with her assault rifle. She backpedaled slowly, flanked on either side by her marines, their combined fire dropping husk after husk. The human marine on her left screamed, she spun just in time to see a praetorian drop him off the edge of the bridge. She spun and brought her rifle to bear, but four brilliant explosions in rapid succession incinerated the target before she could fire. She quickly glanced at the other end of the bridge, a wave of relief hitting her as she saw Ashley discarding the empty missile launcher, Miranda, Shepard and Tali behind her firing at the wave of husks chasing the party.

She nodded at Ren and they spun, sprinting to cross the bridge. She ship shook violently as a secondary explosion ripped through the sublight he3 tanks. Regala glanced up and saw a massive piece of metal falling towards the bridge. She doubled her speed, jumping as the object crashed down a dozen paces behind her, taking the bridge with it and causing the section she landed to groan and snap, falling to a 50 degree angle. She dug her fingers into the grated surface and dangled from the broken bridge, her legs kicking and trying to find purchase. She heard a scream and looked up in time to see Miranda sliding down the plating, her hands trying to find something to grab but failing.

"Miri!" Ashley launched herself onto the angled surface, one arm outstretched and the other holding a pistol tightly. They both rocketed past Regala, Ashley reaching Miranda as they both sailed off the edge. A small, metal object with attached rope rocketed past the precipice a nanosecond later, arcing through the air before being snatched by Grunt. The line went taught suddenly, causing him to take two steps forward before finally using the broken edge of the bridge to brace himself. He let out a loud roar and began hauling the line back up, hand over hand, Shepard and Han lending their backs to the effort.

"Reg!" Regala looked up and saw Tali stretched out in front of her, Ren and Aila holding her feet. She grabbed Tali's outstretched hand and tried to find the gaps in the grate with her toes as she was pulled to safety. Below her, Ashley and Miranda were being hauled up, a safety line affixed to Ash's belt.

With everyone pulled to safety, the party made for the airlock, which was being held by Kal and his team. Reg scaled the ladder first, reaching the surface of the reaper and turning to help Aila, who had been affixed with a personal field generator normally used for emergency decompression. The Normandy's shuttle hovered a few meters from the hull, close enough for slight jump to cover the distance. Reg grabbed Aila's hand and they launched towards the shuttle, quickly clearing the way as the rest of the team followed.

As the shuttle rocketed away from the reaper, the giant machine's exterior began to crack and electricity arced across the surface of the ship. The geth ships that had followed the Normandy through the relay hastened the reaper's departure from the living world with their mass effect cannons, the ship finally exploding in a brilliant flash of red. The Kodiak made an emergency landing in the Illusion's cargo hold, the larger ship's barrier sparing the shuttle from the expanding debris cloud. Regala felt herself thrown against the front of the passenger compartment as the small shuttle collided with the bulkhead, severely damaging one of the thrusters as well as the Illusion's cargo elevator.

The door creaked open, causing everyone to cough slightly as remnants of the fire-suppressing gas that had briefly filled the cargo bay entered the shuttle. Regala felt someone hug her from behind and removed her helmet, shuddering excitedly as a kiss graced her neck.

"Thank you, Reg..." Aila whispered, squeezing her tightly, "You came for me... just like last time." She rested her chin on Regala's shoulder and watched the rest of the team shake hands and pat each other on the back, each one of them coming by to check on Aila before leaving. She smirked when she saw Ash and Miri leaving arm in arm, but kept quiet. Han ran his hand through her hair and touched his visor to her forehead, promising her they'd spend time together once she was checked out.

Carti quickly ran into the shuttle, her omni-tool out and scanning Aila from head to toe. She handed her a loose-fitting gown for her to wear and ushered her up to the maintenance ladder to the sickbay, Regala following closely behind. As they entered the sickbay, Carti spun and pushed Regala out the door, "Shoo. Doctor-patient confidentiality in effect."

Despite Regala's protests, she soon found herself staring at a locked door. She sighed and grudgingly moved to the stairs, figuring now was as good a time as any to have a debriefing. She felt a ping of guilt as she thought about Tennant, the marine who they lost on the mission, but it didn't last. Aila was back and another reaper was dead. Tennant went out, as the humans say, with one hell of a bang.

She ascended the stairwell, her mind replaying the mission, but always returning to those purple eyes, rolling in an exaggerated manner as the sickbay door closed. Her body certainly changed and her mind was probably affected, but that simple flippant movement told Regala everything she needed to know: Aila was back.

Armed with this knowledge, Regala entered the conference room... the shawl that had previously shielded her from outside eyes lying forgotten on the bed one deck below.

* * *

A/N: Yes, Tennant was wearing red armor. And now Regala is only one behind Shepard in the reaper kills column, who will be the victor I wonder? For those who are wondering, yes Aila is going to have some lingering mental issues, but since she wasn't under reaper control for very long AND how she's incredibly strong-willed, she should be okay. Next chapter: when it happens, because seriously, my brothers laptop sucks.


	31. Chapter 30

A/N: Oi vey, sorry for the massive delay. Summer vacations, no computer of my own and helping parents move really made writing difficult. Anyway, things are moving towards the big finale. I hope to finish it up by the end of this year, just in time for ME3 to show us how it really ends.

* * *

"No. I will not have it."

Shepard rolled his eyes, "You've made your position clear, Captain Xen. Numerous times."

Daro'Xen waved her hand derisively, "Then it should be apparent how absurd this whole idea is. I could understand giving her the benefit of the doubt when she was a quarian with nanites in her system. I could even accept, hesitantly though it may have been, the artificial intelligence on her ship. But I draw the line here. She was under the direct influence of a reaper. A process, you yourself said was irreversible. What guarantees do we have that she is no longer under Reaper control?"

"The way indoctrination works, for one." Regala didn't appreciate the scathing tone in Eva's voice, but said nothing, "When the indoctrinating reaper dies, it's subjects either die with it or recover. Had there been another reaper nearby, her indoctrination could've theroetically been transferred, true. But there wasn't, ergo she is no longer indoctrinated."

Daro laughed sarcastically, "And we are simply supposed to believe the word of an AI? One who admits to being one of the idiots that created this whole problem in the beginning?"

"Depends. Would you take your own advice on the geth? You are one of the idiots that created them after all, right?" Eva's eyes narrowed and Regala found herself glad she was just a hologram, otherwise there would've certainly been a fight.

"That is enough." Tali's voice cut any response Daro was preparing, "Both of you. We're here to discuss Aila's command, not to throw insults about."

"The AI is correct. Indoctrination requires constant monitoring. Like gardening." Mordin smiled slightly at his analogy, "Tests show nothing worrying. Elevated brain activity. Presence of biotics. Curious changes, but not signs of continued indoctrination."

"I want to believe you, doctor, but the truth is we cannot simply ignore the fact that she was under reaper control. You said it yourself, she has elevated brain activity. What if that increased activity is a way for another reaper to take control of her?" Councilor Anderson shook his head, "I don't want to throw the kid to the wolves anymore than you do, Tali. But we have to be damn sure it's the right move before we let her return to her duties."

"You say that like we'd let her return at all." Daro commented acidly, "She is a threat to the galaxy. We can't afford to play the role of 'bleeding heart' when faced with galactic extinction."

Han stepped forward and pointed forcefully, his voice grating dangerously, "Choose your next words carefully, Xen. I will not let harm come to my daughter."

Daro shrugged; "Then you should've done a better job, Han. She has already experienced 'harm'. The question now is if we risk her causing 'harm' to others."

"How dare you-"

"Admiral!" Tali held her hand up, "No one- " she shot a pointed look at Daro " is discussing hurting Aila. Please calm down."

"I'll let it go this time, but only because I believe you Tali'Zorah." Han sat down, still glaring at Daro'Xen, "But I will not let her harm my child, I don't care what 'threat' she sees in her."

Daro appeared to have a retort ready, but she was interrupted as Tsarina cleared her throat, "May I remind you, Ms. Ambassador, that this is not a purely quarian matter. The decision reached here could have far reaching implications on the whole galaxy."

"And what does the rest of the council think should be done?" Han asked warily, "Do they agree that my daughter is a threat to this galaxy?"

"We believe the situation warrants careful consideration." The salarian commented, "However, we are not as eager to act as some of those present. While the admiral's concerns are warranted, the expert testimony of Dr. Solus must be taken into consideration."

Tsarina nodded in agreement, "Dr. Solus. You believe Aila is not a threat?"

"Indoctrination is complex. Certainty regarding freedom impossible." Mordin held up his hand, "However, all tests indicate no indoctrination presence. Comfortable in saying she is safe. Should be observed, however."

"If there is nothing else to add, I propose we adjurn for one hour to consider our positions before a vote." Tsarina bowed slightly, "This meeting is in recess."

* * *

The Normandy had jumped back through the relay, letting the citadel fleet and geth handle collecting the reminants of Rentari, a collaborationt that seemed to be a surprise for all parties involved. Aila rested her forehead on the observation window, her thoughts wandering as she lazily gazed at the stars, her eyes trying to draw shapes and patterns in the small dots.

Throughout her life, that had been the one constant thing that she could always rely on: the serene calm that the stars gave her. Her brow crinkled slightly and she let out a disparing sigh. Not anymore. Now the stars were a curtain, hiding an evil far worse than her nightmares. An evil that she had, however briefly, been a part of.

The door behind her chimed and slid open, causing her ear to twitch slightly. She shifted her weight slightly, letting her arms fall to her sides and leaning back slightly as two arms snaked around her. She let a light smile inch across her lips as the arms tightened protectively, bringing her own hands up to rest on her partners.

"You don't deserve this." Regala whispered, holding Aila tightly, "Sure, it was your idotic, fool hardy plan that got you captured, but last I checked being a prisoner of war wasn't a crime."

Aila smiled, "But the last time you checked, the enemy wasn't capable of mind control and didn't possess technology that maked ours look like stone chisels."

"You heard Mordin. You are you again." Regala spun Aila around, "It's not like you're some... sleeper agent the reapers planted to sabotage our plans. Sure, having you carefully observed makes sense, but-" Her sentence was interrupted by a tender kiss.

Aila gently cupped Regala's cheeks and tilted her head, "I know. And I would be lying if I said I didn't want them to come back and say "Mordin is right. Here's your ship back, have fun" when we go back into that room, but-" she lowered her head, her hands sliding down to rest on Reg's shoulders, "... it won't happen that way. It can't happen that way. Too much is at stake, I know that. Will they execute me? No. Even if all of Daro's posturing is true, the rest of the board and the council wouldn't go for it." She sighed and turned to gaze back at the stars, "But I'm not getting the Illusion back. Keelah... it would be a miracle if they let me anywhere near the front-lines of the upcoming battle."

"I'm sorry, Aila." Aila's head whipped back around, a confused look evident on her brow. Regala sat down heavily, "Part of this is my fault too. I should never have let you sacrifice yourself on that ship. I should have... Keelah, I don't know. Knocked you senseless so you couldn't pull your damned heroine routine."

She leaned into Aila's hand as it wiped a tear from her cheek, "That would've gotten us all killed, and you know it Reg." Aila kneeled and grabbed Reg's hands, "Indoctrination is... its hard to describe. You are yourself... mostly, but there is a part of you that can only watch. Its like they divide your personality into segments and only let certain ones effect your actions." She shook her head, "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I had time to think. Time to just... look at everything; where I was, where I had been, the steps I took. And during this inner contemplation, I guess you could call it, I came to a realization- " She looked up and laughed slightly, "And you'll love this. The realization that... my actions and approach has been... impulsive, reckless... keelah, its been downright childish at times."

Regala bit the corner of her lip and smirked slightly, "It has been that, hasn't it?"

"Told ya you'd love it. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that the only person responisble for my current mess is me. There are dozens of paths I could've taken that would have resulted in a better present." She stood up and pulled Reg to her feet, "I can't fix those, but I can make sure my next epic "screw the pooch" moment isn't my fault. And it starts by accepting whatever verdict I am given and doing whatever I can within that situation."

Regala tilted her head forward, resting it against Aila's forehead, "That was... disturbingly mature coming from you, dear. But regardless of what path you choose, I'll be by your side the whole way." She quirked an eyebrow, "This is Aila, right? Not the indoctrination talking? How do I know you'll still be you?"

"Don't worry, sweetie." Alia giggled and kissed Reg's cheek lightly, "I'll be giving you headaches again in no time. Besides-" She shook her head, her long black hair falling between them and lightly obscuring her face, "This particular change is rather ravishing, no?"

She yelped as Reg flicked her forehead, "It'll give me something to drag you out of bed with, that's for sure."

EDI's blue sphere appeared next to the window, "They've voted, Ms Gerrel. They want to see you now."

* * *

"Aila'Gerrel vas Illusion, please step forward." The room adopted an air of tension as Aila stepped forward, glancing at her father and Regala for support before turning to face Tsarina, "The assembled conclave has reached a decision regarding the extent to which you will be allowed to return to active duty, if at all, as well as what cares should be taken to ensure the security of the galaxy."

"It is the will of the assembled delegates that Aila'Gerrel be stripped of her command of the quarian vessel Illusion. She is to report for duty on-board the Alliance vessel, SSV Normandy at the request of Captain Shepard. This decision is based on testimony by Captain Shepard and Dr. Mordin Solus, who will keep Lieutenant Commander Gerrel under careful observation for the forseeable future." She looked at Aila, "Do you have any questions, lieutenant commander?"

Aila gazed around the room, "What about my... I mean, the Illusion's crew, councilor? Who will command them?"

Daro'Xen raised her hand, "That will be discussed at a later date. It is a purely quarian matter, after all." She glanced sideways at Tsarina.

If the councilor noticed, she didn't show it, instead nodding in agreement, "We have also taken into consideration your... relationship with Lieutenant Darini. She will be re-assigned to the Normandy as well."

Regala's face colored slightly, as Aila's mouth hung open a tad, "My... relationship? How did the council... find out?"

Tsarina smiled slightly, "Ms Gerrel, I have lived for 634 years, I can tell when two individuals have feelings for each other." She looked over at Han, "Besides, your father vouched for keeping you two together."

Aila cleared her throat and fidgeted with her hands slightly, "Councilor, I would be lying if I said I was happy with the ruling..." she detached her command star and held it gently before setting it on the table, "but I understand it had to be done. Just... promise me my crew won't be split up under the new captain, and that whoever is in charge is the best you can find. They deserve as much."

"Don't worry, Commander Gerrel." Tali leaned forward, "We will put the well-being of the Illusion first, she is too valuable to tie up with back-room politics." Her pointed gaze drew a haughty scoff from Xen, which she pretended to ignore, "We'll make sure you stay informed about our decision."

"In the mean time, EDI and Eva were able to mine the reaper's databases before it was destroyed." Shepard tapped on the desk and brought up a galaxy map, "EDI?"

"Analysis of the database reveals a series of references to the Bahalk system in Batarian space." The system flashed on the map.

"The Batarian Hedgemony lost contact with that system a few days ago, according to our sources." The salarian councilor commented, "The relay paired with that system's is not allowing transport either. They're trying to keep the situation internal, but an entire system going dark is hard to mask."

"The only reason a relay wouldn't transport is if the destination relay was destroyed." Eva appeared next to the galaxy image, "EDI and I have come to the conclusion that the reapers have arrived, and that somehow the mass relay in the Bahalk system was destroyed."

A stunned silence fell on the briefing room. Tsarina finally broke the calm, "You're saying the reapers are currently in our galaxy?"

"Unfortunately, yes. However, we still have time." Eva rotated the galaxy map, then drew lines from the highlighted system to other systems, "If the relay was operational, we'd be up to our necks in reapers by now. Whoever destroyed it might have saved the galaxy, if we can come up with a plan in the time between now and the reaper's reaching another system with a relay."

Shepard leaned against the table, "How much time to we have?"

She shrugged, "Hard to say. Rentari's ship had been modified from it's original design, I can only make a guess at the speed and range. Worst case, things get interesting in 3 months."

"And by 'interesting', I gather you mean 'we're all gonna die'..." Reg commented dryly.

"If we aren't prepared, definitely." She smirked apologetically, "Even if we are prepared, that could happen. With your technology, it takes entire fleets to destroy one reaper."

Aila leaned against the table, smiling at Eva, "I sense a 'but' coming."

"Am I that easy to read?" Eva spun the map again, this time illuminating a patch of empty space, "The 'but' Aila picked up on is here, assuming they didn't find it. It's another station similar to the one I was found on, originally built in our home system before massive comet impact knocked the planet it was on it out of it's orbit, eventually resulting in it leaving our system all together. Our government wrote the entire installation off, stripped it and just let it fade out of memory."

Daro's hand shot up, "Should we be discussing this with her present?" She motioned Aila's direction.

"Programmed her omni-tool to emit blocking field." Mordin motioned towards her arm, "No active connections possible. Monitoring her vital signs. No indication of indoctrination."

"Admiral Xen. While your concern is understandable, we discussed this in-length during the deliberations." Tali snapped, "Doctor Mordin will inform us if the situation changes. At this point, even if the reapers find out they're in no position to combat our plans until they reach the next relay anyway."

"Knowing about the facility wouldn't help them either." Eva commented, "They could even know the location and how to get there, but without a piece of knowledge only I have, they'd never get there."

Daro threw her arms up, "Very well, we'll do it your way. I still don't see how a stripped and abandoned station is going to help us."

"Our government might have written it off, but not the military. It became a black installation, one that never existed and was never used for missions that never happened. When the reapers began their extermination dance, the facility cut all communications and went dark, much like the outpost I was on. If we're lucky, the reapers never found the station."

"How do you know about this station and where it is? If it's drifting, it might have been destroyed ages ago. And there is the problem of getting there without the use of a relay."

"I know about the station because my superior was one of the few who knew about it." Eva snapped, glaring at Daro pointedly, "When the reapers attacked, he gave me all the information he could about it before locking the outpost down. How do I know it hasn't been destroyed? I don't. But do you have a better idea?"

"You still haven't mentioned how we're supposed to get there." Daro waved her hand, dismissing Eva's challenge.

"Sweetheart, we built the relays." Eva answered, grinning as she drew an irritated glare from Daro, "The facility has a small-scale relay on-site. We find a relay that's in a position to make a connection and I input new parameters based on the estimated location of the facility. If we receive travel confirmation, we know the facility exists."

"The mass relay in the Phoenix Massing is currently within the contact margin." EDI commented, "Based on relay size calculations provided by Eva, the Normandy is just small enough to make the transit."

"Whats the reason for going, Eva?" Shepard asked, "Are there weapons or designs there that we could use?"

"Yes and yes. It was a "black operations" facility with a sizeable armory and the blueprints needed to produce spares. If I can get it back online, we could begin outfitting your fleets with more effective weapons, give them a better survival chance against the reapers."

"Captain Shepard, take your ship and investigate this facility." Tsarina looked at the rest of the groups in attendance, "The rest of us will mobilize our forces and establish a command hierarchy. I, for one, don't plan on going the way of the protheans. May the Goddess watch over you. All of you."

* * *

A/N: Yep, the pieces are falling to place. If you payed attention to previous chapters, you can probably see how things are eventually going to reach a conclusion. Aila losing the Illusion is a bummer, but they couldn't just let her carry on her merry way considering what she went though.


End file.
